Aug 2026· Applied Sciences· 0 citations· 124 references
TL;DR
It is demonstrated that endophytic fungi possess significant potential as sustainable biological control agents in fruit production systems, highlighting the need to develop standardized models, validate their efficacy under field conditions, and conduct studies focused on the commercial scalability of EF-based management strategies.
Abstract
Fruit production represents a major agricultural sector worldwide; however, it is severely affected by pests that reduce fruit yield, quality, and marketability. The intensive use of chemical insecticides has generated environmental contamination, resistance in pest populations, and risks to human health, increasing the demand for sustainable alternatives. In this context, endophytic fungi (EF) have gained relevance as biological control agents due to their ability to colonize plant tissues and produce bioactive metabolites that affect agricultural pests. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the current scientific knowledge regarding EF as biological control agents against pests in fruit crops and to analyze the tripartite interactions among fungi, plants, and pests. The review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines using the databases Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and OpenAlex. Studies were selected according to predefined exclusion criteria focused on the simultaneous presence of endophytic fungi, fruit crops, and agricultural pests. A total of 24 fruit species, 51 endophytic fungi, and 33 agricultural pest species were identified. The most frequently reported fungal genera were Penicillium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Aspergillus, Gnomoniopsis, and Trichoderma, while a broad diversity of pest species affected by these fungi was recorded. Interaction analyses revealed complex and highly interconnected tripartite relationships, in which some fungi exhibited strong host specificity whereas others displayed broader interaction ranges. The findings demonstrate that EF possess significant potential as sustainable biological control agents in fruit production systems. However, research in this field remains limited and fragmented, highlighting the need to develop standardized models, validate their efficacy under field conditions, and conduct studies focused on the commercial scalability of EF-based management strategies.
Abstract The guava tree, Psidium guajava (Myrtales: Myrtaceae), is a tropical fruit species native to South and Central America and is widely cultivated in Brazil due to favorable soil and climate conditions for commercial production. Brazil is the third-largest guava-producing country in the world. Consequently, the fruit's nutritional value, agricultural production, industrial processing, and exports have expanded. However, this fruit tree is susceptible to pest infestations throughout its phenological cycle, resulting in qualitative and quantitative losses that may render the fruit unsuitable for fresh consumption. Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae and Lonchaeidae) are the main pests affecting guava. Growing restrictions on chemical pesticide use, due to their toxicity to human health and the development of insecticide resistance in pest species, have intensified the search for sustainable alternatives for pest control. Microbial control using entomopathogenic fungi against these pest species is essential for the economic sustainability of guava production. Entomopathogenic fungi are effective because they infect hosts at multiple developmental stages, penetrate the cuticle, and persist in the environment, leading to greater control efficacy. They pose minimal risk to non-target beneficial organisms, including bees, earthworms, collembolans, parasitoids, and predators. This review examines how Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae can enhance fruit fly management, improve plant, and fruit health, increase yield, and provide effective biological control solutions. It also promotes sustainability by encouraging agricultural practices that conserve environmental integrity and biodiversity.
I. S. T. Oliveira, E. Loureiro, I. Oliveira et al.· Brazilian Journal of Biology· 0 citations
The conditions under which EPF can reliably provide resilient protection of rice are established, linking molecular pathways to population and landscape-scale outcomes in flooded paddy environments.
P. Saba, S. Jeyarani, P. S. Shanmugam et al.· Arthropod-Plant Interactions· 0 citations
Sustainable farming faces an ongoing challenge from thrips, which are widespread agricultural pests that cause severe crop damage and spread harmful plant viruses. The overuse of chemical pesticides has backfired, leading to pest resistance, leaving toxic residues in the soil, and harming beneficial organisms, highlighting the need for eco-friendly alternatives for thrips management. Using biological controls offers a reliable path forward by capitalising on the natural interaction between predatory insects and plant-derived compounds. Beneficial organisms, such as Amblyseius swirskii (predatory mites) and minute pirate bugs, work alongside a variety of parasitoids to control thrips populations naturally. Furthermore, microscopic allies such as beneficial nematodes and specialised fungi (Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae) can be deployed to target pests at vulnerable points in their life cycles. Turning to botanical sprays, such as tobacco and neem-derived azadirachtin, also allows farmers to reduce dependency on synthetic chemical treatment. Combining these biological agents and botanical extracts into a unified Integrated Pest Management (IPM) model helps growers protect their crop yields, reduce chemical footprints, and build long-term agricultural resilience.
L. Gehlot, Mukul Gehlot, N. Parihar· Biological Forum· 0 citations
The dual application of microalgae for carbon sequestration and wastewater treatment is emphasized, along with their ability to enrich soil, which aligns with the objectives of closed-loop systems and circular agriculture.
Adeline Juanita, S. Mohanty, Kaustubha Mohanty· Blue Biotechnology· 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
The genus Trichoderma comprises one of the most intensively studied groups of beneficial fungi in agriculture due to its ability to suppress plant pathogens while simultaneously promoting plant growth. In recent years, increasing restrictions on chemical pesticides, rising climate-related stresses, and the demand for sustainable food production have accelerated interest in Trichoderma-based solutions. Advances in molecular biology, genomics, and metabolomics have revealed extensive functional diversity among Trichoderma species and strains, expanding their perceived role beyond classical biocontrol to include plant nutrition, stress tolerance, crop quality, and food safety. The objective of this review is to critically synthesize recent research on Trichoderma spp. by integrating biocontrol mechanisms, plant growth promotion and biofortification, and emerging roles in food quality and safety, while explicitly addressing the sources of variability that limit their predictable application in agricultural systems. Despite the growing body of literature, major gaps remain in understanding why similar Trichoderma species or strains produce divergent outcomes across crops, environments, and experimental scales. In particular, strain-specific functional traits, plant genotype, soil properties, and interactions with native microbiomes contribute to inconsistent results between in vitro studies, greenhouse trials, and field applications. This review examines three interconnected dimensions: (i) the principal mechanisms of biocontrol and their ecological modulation; (ii) plant growth promotion and nutrient biofortification across major crop groups; and (iii) contributions to food quality and safety, including postharvest disease control and mycotoxin mitigation. By comparing evidence across experimental scales and agricultural contexts, this article identifies key knowledge gaps, explains contradictory findings in the literature, and highlights why overgeneralization of Trichoderma benefits should be avoided. The review concludes by outlining research priorities needed to improve strain selection, context-aware application strategies, and the reliability of Trichoderma-based technologies in sustainable agriculture and food systems.
