| Popis: |
Biological management of plant diseases is the need of the day as it is the most feasible alternative to the present scenario of environmental pollution leading to pesticide residue in horticultural produce affecting the health of the consumers. Bioprospecting is searching for new sources of compounds, genes, microorganisms, macroorganisms, plants and other natural sources. Botanical fungicides may be effective, selective, biodegradable and less toxic to the environment. The biocontrol efficacy of antagonistic microorganisms like Bacillus, Trichoderma, Pseudomonas and some endophytic bacteria has been exploited for the management of the diseases of horticultural crops. Bioprospecting has also been done for the suppression of nematodes by various biological agents. Characterization of the metabolites which play a role in the suppression is also very much needed. The biocontrol efficacy of antagonistic microorganisms depends on a combination of factors such as the characteristics of the antagonistic microorganism, the epidemiology of the target pathogen and the environmental conditions in which the relationship between the pathogen and the antagonist(s) is taking place. Hence, efforts are needed to develop systems by integrating several strategies taking into consideration pathogen biology, cultivar resistance and epidemiology. |
