Systems and methods for use of chlorine dioxide in cultivation and post-harvest applications
Systems and methods of use of chlorine dioxide in controlled environmental agriculture settings and postharvest applications are provided. A method can comprise application of gaseous chlorine dioxide at a level effective to prevent microbial proliferation in a setting containing growing plants. A system can comprise a chemical microorganism control agent dispersal system, an airborne microorganism detection system, and a cultivation environment monitor system.
1 . A method of microorganism control in an indoor plant cultivation environment comprising:
determining, at a first time and a first location, a first plant biomass parameter;
determining, at the first time, a first airborne microorganism parameter from a first air sample of an airborne microorganism collected at the first location, wherein the airborne microorganism is a mold;
determining, at the first time and the first location, a first cultivation environment parameter;
determining a first application rate of a gaseous chlorine dioxide in response to one of the first plant biomass parameter, the first airborne microorganism parameter, and the first cultivation environment parameter, wherein the first application rate is calculated to produce one of an estimated gaseous chlorine dioxide concentration and a measured gaseous chlorine dioxide concentration, wherein the one of the estimated gaseous chlorine dioxide concentration and the measured gaseous chlorine dioxide concentration does not exceed about 0.1 ppmv during a first treatment period;
applying the gaseous chlorine dioxide in the indoor plant cultivation environment at the first application rate for the first treatment period;
determining, at a second time, a second airborne microorganism parameter from a second air sample of the airborne microorganism collected at the first location; and
determining an airborne microorganism control effect produced in response to the applying the gaseous chlorine dioxide for the first treatment period by comparing the second airborne microorganism parameter to the first airborne microorganism parameter;
wherein the applying the gaseous chlorine dioxide at the first application rate for the first treatment period is effective to reduce a load of the airborne microorganism from the first airborne microorganism parameter to the second airborne microorganism parameter.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, at the first time, a first crop parameter;
determining, at the second time, a second crop parameter;
determining a crop effect produced by the applying the gaseous chlorine dioxide for the first treatment period by comparing the second crop parameter to the first crop parameter; and
adjusting, in response to one of determining the airborne microorganism control effect and determining the crop effect, the first application rate to a second application rate.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plant biomass parameter comprises at least one of a plant type, a plant growth stage, a plant number, a total plant biomass, a total plant surface area, or a plant surface area attribute.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first airborne microorganism parameter further comprises at least one of a microorganism type, a microorganism density, a microorganism development stage, or a microorganism pathogenesis stage.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cultivation environment parameter comprises at least one of relative humidity, airflow level, airflow pattern, light cycle, light intensity, light wavelength, or temperature cycle.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the gaseous chlorine dioxide in the plant cultivation environment at the first application rate for the first treatment period is effective to substantially prevent proliferation of the airborne microorganism.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring, between the first time and the second time, a first measured gaseous chlorine dioxide concentration;
comparing the first measured gaseous chlorine dioxide concentration and the estimated gaseous chlorine dioxide concentration; and
adjusting the first application rate to a second application rate in response to the comparing the measured gaseous chlorine dioxide concentration and the estimated gaseous chlorine dioxide concentration.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deploying, before the first time and at the first location, a process challenge device comprising one of a biological indicator and a chemical indicator; and
determining, after the second time, an effect of the applying the gaseous chlorine dioxide on the one of the biological indicator and the chemical indicator.