Nonphytotoxic copper oxide nanoparticles are powerful “nanoweapons” that trigger resistance in tobacco against the soil-borne fungal pathogen Phytophthora nicotianae

Investigations into the potential application of nanoparticles acting as nanofungicides in sustainable agriculture are rapidly expanding due to the high antimicrobial properties of these compounds, which do not risk inducing pathogen resistance to fungicides. A detailed understanding of the impact of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) on soil-borne phytopathogenic fungi is yet to be obtained. This study aimed to explore the in vitro antifungal activity and control efficacy of CuO NPs applied via irrigation with respect to tobacco black shank (TBS) disease caused by Phytophthoranicotianae. The results revealed that CuO NPs greatly interfered with the reproductive growth process of this fungus, repressing hyphal growth, spore germination and sporangium production. Additionally, morphological damage, intracellular ROS accumulation and increased SOD enzyme activity in hyphae were the antifungicidal mechanisms of these NPs. In pot experiments, treatment with CuO NPs at 100 mg L−1 significantly suppressed TBS development, compared with the effect on control plants, and the control efficacy reached 33.69% without inducing phytotoxicity. Exposure to CuO NPs significantly activated a series of defense enzymes, and resistance genes in tobacco can further explain the mechanisms by which CuO NPs suppressed fungal infection. The Cu content in both the leaves and roots of P. nicotianae-infested plants increased by 50.03 and 27.25%, respectively, after treatment with 100 mg L−1 CuO NPs, compared with that of healthy plants. In particular, a higher Cu content was observed in infected roots than in leaves. Therefore, this study showed the potential of CuO NPs applied as nanofungicides and as nanoinducers of fungus resistance genes for the management of TBS through inhibition of pathogen infection and stimulation of plant defenses.