Practical Ozone Disinfection of Soil Via Surface Barrier Discharge to Control Scab Diseases on Radishes

The author has proposed the indirect use of plasma to exterminate soil-borne pathogens and worms as a technique in chemical-free agriculture. So far, laboratory-scale experiments have proven the effectiveness of ozone treatment of soil using a surface barrier discharge to exterminate nematodes. In this paper, an ozone diffusion treatment system was developed and used on an actual agricultural site for soil disinfection. The working depth of ozone in soil was evaluated by measuring the soil acidity and nitrogen nutrients. Then, a section of the field infested with the Streptomyces, which causes scab, was treated with the ozone diffusion system. After the treatment, radish seeds were planted in the ozone-treated area and control area. It was found that radishes grown in the ozone-treated area showed enhanced growth compared to the control and were not infected with scab. It was proven that the ozone diffusion treatment was effective in exterminating soil pathogens living near the soil surface and in enhancing plant growth.