Fungal biodiversity: A potential tool in plant disease management

Abstract

Fungal flora is considerably rich and diverse. Biodiversity of fungal flora in a region is represented by a number of taxonomic groups in different habitats. The rich diversity of fungus in the form of fungal biocontrol agents are now being potentially explored as an important tool in the management of plant diseases. Excessive use of pesticides results in the form of pest resistance, disturbance in ecosystem due to destruction of natural enemies and environmental pollution which leads to health problems. Thus fungal biocontrol agents have high potential to replace the use of synthetic chemicals. Some of the most widely used biocontrol agents in the world belong to the fungal genus Trichoderma. In particular isolates of Trichoderma harzianum, T. virens, T. hamatum, are used against diseases in a wide variety of economically important crops. They have been used with success against soilborne, seedborne, storage rots and diseases in the phyllosphere. T. harzianum and Gliocladium virens have been successfully used against Botrytis cineria in different crops. Many other fungi have been shown to antagonize and inhibit numerous fungal pathogens of aerial plant parts. Chaetomium, Tuberculina maxima, Verticillium lecanii, Ampelomyces quisqualis, Tilletiopsis and Gonatobotrys simplex are some of the most effectively used biocontrol agents against Athelia bombacina, Venturia inequalis, Cronartium ribicola, Puccinia, Erysiphe ovata, Sphaerotheca fuliginea and Alternaria alternata respectively. This review provides a broad perspective on the range of diversity of fungal biocontrol agents available for commercial exploitation, mechanism, commercial formulations in use and bottle necks in biocontrol of plant diseases. The fungal bioagents are expected to have great potential in addressing some of the key pest problems in the near future.