Novel approaches of beneficial Pseudomonas in mitigation of plant diseases - an appraisal

Abstract

Control of plant diseases has always remained a challenge as diseases affecting plant health are a major and chronic threat not only to food production, but also to ecosystem stability worldwide. As agricultural production intensified over the past three decades, producers became dependent on agrochemicals as a relatively reliable method of crop protection. However, growing concerns regarding continued use of agrochemicals, posing adverse effects on human health besides posing the threat of environmental deterioration, has driven search for novel environment friendly methods to control plant diseases that in turn can contribute to the goal of sustainability in agriculture. Mitigation of plant diseases by naturally inhabiting antagonistic micro-organisms such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria has gained much importance as biocontrol agents seem to be the best possible measures for saving plants from phytopathogenic organisms without causing any harmful effect to mankind as well as to the environment. Mechanisms of microbial antagonism toward phytopathogenic organisms include competition for nutrients and space, production of siderophores, hydrogen cyanide, antibiotics, and/or production of fungal cell wall-degrading lytic enzymes. The present review is aimed at exploring benefits of natural alternatives for agrochemicals along with the study of their antagonistic mechanisms that makes them a novel substitute to agrochemicals. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.