Abstract:
The shift away from chemical pesticides in plant disease management is increasingly
influenced by public concerns over their toxicity and environmental harm, increasing
restrictions on existing pesticides, and the emergence of pesticide-resistant pathogens
(
Rani et al., 2021). As a result, biocontrol of plant diseases has emerged as a widely
recognized alternative to chemical pesticides, playing a crucial role in integrated pest
approaches. This Research Topic aims to compile recent progress and achievements in the
biocontrol of plant diseases and explore their action mechanisms. Among various action
mechanisms, antibiotic production against plant pathogens has been reported for several
biocontrol agents. For example,
Maalik et al. have shown that the biocontrol bacterium
Bacillus atrophaeus produces antimicrobial lipopeptides and, in combination with salicylic
acid (SA), effectively controls blue mold disease caused by Penicillium italicum in lemons.
The lipopeptides directly target the pathogen Penicillium italicum, while SA activates a
defense response in the host plant, offering enhanced protection through the synergy of
different mechanisms.
Li et al. identified three resorcylic acid lactones, produced by the
biocontrol fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia, effective against the plant parasitic nematode
Meloidogyne incognita, including a new compound, monocillin-VI glycoside.
Bellotti et al.
revealed that Bacillus species can inhibit the growth and toxin production ability of
Alternaria species. Plant disease management can also be achieved by manipulating plant
rhizosphere microbes to suppress pathogenic ones, as shown by
Zhang et al., who amended
soil using ammonium bicarbonate to control clubroot disease in Chinese cabbage by
targeting pathogenic fungus, Plasmodiophora brassicae.
