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VOL. 8, ISSUE 2 (2026)
Biocontrol: Unlocking sustainable strategies for plant disease management in agriculture: A review
Authors
Omprakash A Kadam
Abstract
Biocontrol involves
application of live microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoans
and nematodes in farming practices to kill the insects on crop plant.
Biocontrol agents (BCAs) inhibit the growth or germination of phytopathogens by
secretion of antimicrobial metabolites. Trichoderma species coil around
the hyphae of Rhizoctonia solani pathogen, thereby secreting chitinase
and glucanases a cell wall degrading enzyme. They have many advantages as they act
on pathogens without harming beneficial organisms or non-target species. BCAs
are fast growing colonizers occupies the infection sites or compete to
phytopathogens for essential nutrients like iron via siderophores production
before it can establish an infection. Bacillus species secrete
antimicrobial compounds like Graminearum which stop growth of
plant pathogens and lowers the frequency of crop illnesses. A sustainable
balance between pests and their natural enemies can be established through a variety
of methods like inoculative releases, which apply small doses of biocontrol agents
gradually over time or introduction of large numbers of BCAs in farming
practice to suppress pest populations. Use of genetically engineered biocontrol
agents having great specificity and efficacy have been made possible by rDNA
technology. In traditional farming there is tremendous use of synthetic
pesticides to kill insects, fungi, bacteria. They are harmful environment and
farmer consumer also, and increase cost of production. To achieve
sustainability and lower the crop production cost. use of biocontrol agents in integrated
pest management (IPM), which stresses the approach of integration of cultural,
biological, chemical practices in farming in a comprehensive manner to achieve pest
control. Entomopathogenic microorganisms (EPs) include Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt), Beauveria bassiana, and Metarhizium
anisopliae fight with harmful insects that spread plant diseases, providing
potential alternatives to synthetic pesticides for plant protection. Farmers
can increase their crop productivity but also environmental impact can be
lowered. Global food security can be guaranteed by incorporating use of biological
controls into agricultural practices. The main objective of this review is to
highlight the applications of biocontrol agents in plant protection.
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Pages:45-48
How to cite this article:
Omprakash A Kadam "Biocontrol: Unlocking sustainable strategies for plant disease management in agriculture: A review". International Journal of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Vol 8, Issue 2, 2026, Pages 45-48
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