Biocontrol Potential of Essential Oils in Organic Horticulture Systems: From Farm to Fork

In recent decades, increasing attention has been paid to food safety and organic horticulture. Thus, people are looking for natural products to manage plant diseases, pests, and weeds. Essential oils (EOs) or EO-based products are potentially promising candidates for biocontrol agents due to their safe, bioactive, biodegradable, ecologically, and economically viable properties. Born of necessity or commercial interest to satisfy market demand for natural products, this emerging technology is highly anticipated, but its application has been limited without the benefit of a thorough analysis of the scientific evidence on efficacy, scope, and mechanism of action. This review covers the uses of EOs as broad-spectrum biocontrol agents in both preharvest and postharvest systems. The known functions of EOs in suppressing fungi, bacteria, viruses, pests, and weeds are briefly summarized. Related results and possible modes of action from recent research are listed. The weaknesses of applying EOs are also discussed, such as high volatility and low stability, low water solubility, strong influence on organoleptic properties, and phytotoxic effects. Therefore, EO formulations and methods of incorporation to enhance the strengths and compensate for the shortages are outlined. This review also concludes with research directions needed to better understand and fully evaluate EOs and provides an outlook on the prospects for future applications of EOs in organic horticulture production.

Debaryomyces hansenii, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, and Ulvan as Biocontrol Agents of Fruit Rot Disease in Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.)

The indiscriminate use of synthetic fungicides has led to negative impact to human health and to the environment. Thus, we investigated the effects of postharvest biocontrol treatment with Debaryomyces hansenii, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, and a polysaccharide ulvan on fruit rot disease, storability, and antioxidant enzyme activity in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus). Each fruit was treated with (1) 1 × 106 cells mL−1 of D. hansenii, (2) 1 × 108 CFU mL−1 of S. rhizophila, (3) 5 g L−1 of ulvan, (4) 1 × 106 cells mL−1 of D. hansenii + 1 × 108 CFU mL−1 of S. rhizophila, (5) 1 × 108 CFU mL−1 of S. rhizophila + 5 g L−1 of ulvan, (6) 1 × 106 cells mL−1 of D. hansenii + 1 × 108 CFU mL−1 of S. rhizophila + 5 g L−1 of ulvan, (7) 1000 ppm of benomyl or sterile water (control). The fruits were air-dried for 2 h, and stored at 27 °C ± 1 °C and 85–90% relative humidity. The fruit rot disease was determined by estimating the disease incidence (%) and lesion diameter (mm), and the adhesion capacity of the biocontrol agents was observed via electron microscopy. Phytopathogen inoculation time before and after adding biocontrol agents were also recorded. Furthermore, the storability quality, weight loss (%), firmness (N), total soluble solids (%), and pH were quantified. The antioxidant enzymes including catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and phenylalanine ammonium lyase were determined. In conclusion, the mixed treatment containing D. hansenii, S. rhizophila, and ulvan delayed fruit rot disease, preserved fruit quality, and increased antioxidant activity. The combined treatment is a promising and effective biological control method to promote the shelf life of harvested muskmelon.

Biocontrol of Rice Diseases by Microorganisms

Rice is responsible for the stable crop of 3 billion people worldwide, about half of Asian depends on it, and rice is grown in more than 100 countries. Rice diseases can lead to devastating economic loss by decreasing yield production, disturbing a stable food supply and demand chain. The most commonly used method to control rice disease is chemical control. However, misuse of chemical control can cause environmental pollution, residual toxicity, and the emergence of chemical-resistant pathogens, the deterioration of soil quality, and the destruction of biodiversity. In order to control rice diseases, research on alternative biocontrol is actively pursued including microorganism-oriented biocontrol agents. Microbial agents control plant disease through competition with and antibiotic effects and parasitism against plant pathogens. Microorganisms isolated from the rice rhizosphere are studied comprehensively as biocontrol agents against rice pathogens. Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Trichoderma sp. were reported to control rice diseases, such as blast, sheath blight, bacterial leaf blight, brown spot, and bakanae diseases. Here we reviewed the microorganisms that are studied as biocontrol agents against rice diseases.

First record in Africa of the parasitoid Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) from tomato fields in Algeria

The Neotropical parasitoid wasp Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris (Marsh, 1975) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), one of the most important biocontrol agents of the South American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is reported for the first time from Africa, from tomato grown in open fields and greenhouses in several regions of Algeria. Color photos of specimens from Algeria, Spain and South America, as well as the holotype and one paratype are provided. Morphological and molecular details to better characterize and recognize the species are also provided. We speculate that D. gelechiidivoris arrived accidentally to Algeria from Spain, where it has recently been reported. The consequences for future biocontrol projects against T. absoluta in Africa are discussed.

Role of Growth-Promoting Bacteria as Biocontrol Agent Against Root Knot Nematode of Tomato

There are significant losses which have occurred in crops due to the infestation of plant parasitic nematode which are known as hidden enemy due to their presence in rhizosphere and their infection site on the roots. Synthetic nematicidal control is an effective strategy to combat this biotic stress but an inappropriate and deficient application of chemical pesticides have an adverse effect on soil micro-flora and fauna. Due to the environmental and regulatory pressure, use of potential biocontrol agents is the new approach for nematode management by the farming community. For this study, four potential rhizobacteria from different habitats BHU1, BHU2, BHU3 and BHU4 were assessed for their antagonistic activities against Meloidogyne incognita infecting tomato plant. These were characterized on the basis of their morphological and biochemical activities. In vitro screening of bacterial isolates was conducted in a 25-microwell plate by addition of second stage juvenile (J2) of M. incognita with nematode application. Among four bacteria,, three potential antagonistic bacteria were able to kill nematode within 24 hours. Mortality percentage of J2 M. incognita observed in sterile distilled water selected bacterial isolates ranged from 23.33 to 100% in 3h to 24h periods. Moreover, all bacterial isolates except BHU2 isolate were found positive for production of extracellular enzymes like catalase, oxidase, chitinase, amylase and gelatinase which favour effective biopesticide activity of bacteria. Further selected isolates of bacteria associated with tomato have shown a great potential as biocontrol agents against root-knot nematode in tomato during pot experiment. Based on the fact stated above, the current research focused on plant growth promoting rhizobacteria based nematodes biocontrol strategies with direct and indirect mechanism of PGPR for nematode management.

Halo Tolerance of Biocontrol Agents against Root Rot of Mung Bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek var. radiata) Caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid in Salt Affected Soils

Root rot of mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek var. radiata] is major disease and claims huge yield loss if they occur in the field. The pathogen is basically soil borne and survivability may vary depends on soil condition. The fungicide chemicals are available to manage the disease; however, the biocontrol agents are nowadays available for the disease management and the microbial activity of the biocontrol agents is influenced by existing soil condition including soil pH. Hence, a study was conducted to find out the halo tolerance capacity of the biocontrol agents against root rot disease in salt affected soils under in vitro, in vivo and field condition. The root rot pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina was isolated from infected root. Efficacy of biocontrol agents against growth of M. phaseolina was assessed in vitro. The results revealed that TNAU strain of Bacillus subtilis reduced the mycelial growth of the M. phaseolina significantly when media supplemented with NaCl at 5% (1.4 cm), 7.5% (1.5 cm), 10% (1.6cm) and 12.5% (1.6 cm) and without NaCl (1.2 cm) and similar trend of reduction also expressed by BCA1 strain of B. subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma viride under in vitro. The performance of the biocontrol agents against the pathogen is slightly reduced when media supplemented with NaCl. The reduction of mycelia weight of M.phaeolina was more in media added with TNAU strain of B.subtilis and the performance of TNAU strain of B.subtilis on reduction of mycelial weight of M.phaseolina is reduced when the broth added with NaCl at 5% (3.15g), 7.5% (3.25g), 10% (3.32g) and 12.5%(3.65g) level and which is followed by P. fluorescens, BCA 1 strain of B. subtilis and Trichoderma viride. Under pot culture conditions, the effect of talc formulated biocontrol agents and challenge inoculation with pathogen was assessed against root rot incidence. It was found that the soil application of TNAU strain of B.subtilis performed better in reducing the root rot incidence at pH of 7.0 (2.37%), 7.5 (4.50%), 8.0 (5.53%) and 8.7 (6.57%) and followed by BCA 1 of B.subtilis in all pH level. Among the biocontrol agents, TNAU strain of B.subtilis applied as seed as well as soil application expressed more population in the rhizosphere in all pH level. The biocontrol agents applied as soil application had more populations of the agents in the soil when compared to seed treatment. The halo tolerance performance of the biocontrol agents was also assessed under field condition in pH of 7.5 and 8.7 during 2019-20 and 2020-21. It was found that the minimum root rot incidence and maximum yield was observed from soil application of TNAU strain of B subtilis at 2.5 kg/ha but the effect is on par with soil application of BCA1 strain of B.subtilis at 2.5 kg/ha.

Complete Genome Sequences and Genome-Wide Characterization of Trichoderma Biocontrol Agents Provide New Insights into their Evolution and Variation in Genome Organization, Sexual Development, and Fungal-Plant Interactions

Telomere-to-telomere and gapless reference genome assemblies are necessary to ensure that all genomic variants are studied and discovered, including centromeres, telomeres, AT-rich blocks, mating type loci, biosynthetic, and metabolic gene clusters. Here, we applied long-range sequencing technologies to determine the near-completed genome sequences of four widely used biocontrol agents or biofertilizers: Trichoderma virens Gv29-8 and FT-333, Trichoderma asperellum FT101, and Trichoderma atroviride P1.