Multidiscipline, a basic component of innovation in the biological control of plant pathogens

Abstract

The control of biotic diseases in agriculture — particularly of those caused by fungi and bacteria— has produced an excessive use of chemically-synthesized products (agrochemicals), which, despite their important contribution to the increase of agricultural productivity, have considerable disadvantages, especially regarding the health of the people who apply these products and in environmental terms, since they contaminate soils and groundwater layers. On the other hand, the use of pesticide-free agricultural products has increased in recent years, requiring quality foods, free of toxic components. Alongside this, legislation (especially in developed nations) increasingly limits the use of pesticides on products for human consumption. A more sustainable alternative is the biological control of phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria with the use of their enemies/antagonists, which are considered biological control agents (BCA). In this field, I highlight the recent review by Lahlali et al. (2022) which describes extensively diverse aspects referring to the biological control of phytopathogens, including an analysis of the action mechanisms used by beneficial microorganisms for controlling the phytopathogens and the reduction of the losses caused by them, as well as the potential and limitations of this technology.