Jun 2026· Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry· Vol 74, pp. 20202-20220· 0 citations· 134 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Advances in molecular biopesticides, including RNAi-based approaches (including host-delivered RNAi and exogenous dsRNA), with emphasis on dsRNA instability and nanocarrier-enabled protection, release, and uptake are summarized.
Abstract
Plant-parasitic nematodes cause major yield and economic losses and remain difficult to manage because of their soil-borne nature, persistent biology, and broad host range. Conventional nematicides provide rapid suppression but face regulatory, safety, and environmental concerns, while cultural practices, biological control, and host resistance are constrained by variable field performance, durability, or breeding limitations. Molecular biopesticides, including double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), recombinant proteins/peptides, and characterized secondary metabolites, offer mechanism-based targeting of nematode genes, effectors, or essential pathways with greater specificity and potentially lower ecological footprints. This review summarizes advances in molecular biopesticides, including RNAi-based approaches (including host-delivered RNAi and exogenous dsRNA), with emphasis on dsRNA instability and nanocarrier-enabled protection, release, and uptake. It also examines nematotoxic proteins, engineered fusion constructs, and secondary metabolite-derived nematicides, highlighting the formulation and bioavailability challenges. Finally, target discovery, delivery platforms, efficacy evidence, biosafety considerations, field validation, manufacturing, and integrated pest management integration are also discussed.
This critical narrative review evaluates technologies that could materially change how nematode risk is detected, prevented and suppressed and concludes the strongest near-term case is not for a stand-alone ‘revolutionary’ product but for an information-led integrated system.
K. Premalatha, J. Meenakshi· Journal of Advances in Biolo...· 0 citations
This review synthesizes current knowledge on the structural classes of plant-derived compounds and critically evaluates their applications as biocontrol agents against bacterial phytopathogens, highlighting their potential integration into sustainable resilience and global food security.
Adyasha Anapurba Sahoo, Sangeeta Raut, Aswinee Kumar Panda et al.· Journal of Crop Health· 0 citations
Postharvest losses of horticultural produce, primarily due to microbial decay, remain a major challenge to global food security, accounting for 35–50% of production annually. To control this, overuse of synthetic fungicides has led to pathogen resistance, environmental contamination, and health concerns, prompting a shift toward sustainable biocontrol agents (BCAs). This review comprehensively examines the potential of microbial antagonists (yeasts, bacteria, and fungi), plant-based agents (essential oils and extracts), and natural compounds (e.g., chitosan, alginate, organic acids, etc.) for managing postharvest diseases in fruits and vegetables. Key mechanisms of action including competition for nutrients and space, production of antifungal metabolites and enzymes, biofilm formation, induction of host resistance, and volatile organic compounds are discussed in detail. Application strategies (pre- and postharvest), synergistic integrations with physical/chemical treatments, advantages over conventional pesticides, and major challenges (e.g., formulation stability, regulatory hurdles, and commercialization) are critically analyzed. Emerging approaches such as omics technologies, microbial consortia, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology offer promising avenues to enhance BCA efficacy and consistency. This review highlights successful examples and future perspectives of BCAs in postharvest diseases control setup and more importantly their co-applications together with other natural disease control methods and technologies. Finally, it underscores BCAs as viable, eco-friendly alternatives that can extend shelf life, preserve quality, and support sustainable postharvest management.
Esa Abiso Godana, Gerefa Sefu Edo, Sebahat Oztekin et al.· Frontiers in Nutrition· 0 citations
Trichoderma species are widely investigated and commercially applied as eco-friendly biocontrol agents in sustainable agriculture. These filamentous fungi protect plants through multiple complementary mechanisms, including mycoparasitism, antibiosis, competition for nutrients and ecological niches, and induction of systemic resistance in host plants. These activities are mediated by a diverse array of secondary metabolites, hydrolytic enzymes, and signaling pathways that collectively suppress pathogens and enhance plant health. Beyond disease control, selected Trichoderma strains promote plant growth by improving nutrient acquisition, modulating phytohormone signaling, and increasing tolerance to abiotic stresses. This review summarizes recent advances in the mechanisms underlying Trichoderma spp. mediated biocontrol, with particular emphasis on secondary metabolites, formulation strategies, commercialization, and field applications. Commercial products are available in various formulations, including wettable powders, granules, and liquid preparations, and have demonstrated efficacy against several economically important plant diseases under field conditions. However, their performance remains highly dependent on strain characteristics, host species, environmental conditions and agricultural practices, resulting in inconsistent efficacy across agroecosystems. Recent progress in genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics has substantially improved our understanding of Trichoderma–plant–pathogen interactions and revealed considerable strain-specific variation in biocontrol and plant growth-promoting traits. Future research should prioritize strain-specific optimization, formulation stability, microbiome-informed applications, and improved field predictability. Overall, Trichoderma spp. Represents a valuable component of integrated disease management, offering an effective and sustainable alternative to synthetic pesticides.
Sidratul Muntaha Binta Anam Otithi, Md. Sohel Rana, M. Islam et al.· Plants· 0 citations
Bacterial plant diseases remain a major problem for sustainable crop production worldwide, and innovative methods are needed to solve the plant disease problem that goes beyond the traditional method of using chemicals. The traditional management approach, based largely on antibiotic use and bactericide use or copper, is facing challenges due to AMR crisis and safety issues for the environment. The review highlights the advances in use of bacteriophages as precise, environmentally friendly and environmentally stable biocontrol agents of phytopathogenic bacteria. It explains the mechanism of action of phages such as killing bacteria through lytic action, via the use of phage-derived enzymes and by disrupting protective bacterial biofilms by enzyme action. Recent case studies and commercial product evaluations shed light on the effectiveness of phage therapy in opposing significant agricultural pathogens, such as Xanthomonas species, Pseudomonas species, and Erwinia amylovora. Host-range properties, environmental constraints and complex regulatory hurdles are discussed. These constraints have been overcome by recent developments in computational biology, omics-driven discovery and innovative formulation strategies such as phage cocktails and microencapsulation. In the future, synthetic biology and nanotechnology will improve the performance and stability of phage. Together, these advances are pointing to a bright future in the application of phage-based biocontrol in sustainable and resilient plant health management practices.
Zeenat Niaz, Adil Zahoor, Junaid Hassan et al.· Integrative Plant Biotechnol...· 0 citations
This review highlights the potential of fungal bioherbicides (mycoherbicide) as sustainable agents for biological weed management in organic and conventional agriculture. Fungi and their bioactive metabolites offer target-specific, environmentally compatible alternatives to synthetic herbicides, particularly in the context of escalating herbicide resistance and regulatory restrictions. This review examines key advances across five domains: taxonomic diversity and mechanisms of fungal bioherbicide agents, formulation science and delivery systems, bioprocess engineering for scaleup production, field application strategies, and circular economy integration. Current bottlenecks in formulation stability, fermentation scalability, and regulatory pathways are critically assessed, and emerging technologies including nanoformulations, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture are evaluated as accelerators for next-generation mycoherbicide development. The growing global biopesticide market and sustainability imperatives further underscore the strategic importance of fungal bioherbicides within circular bioeconomy frameworks.