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Agricultural food production is greatly affected by postharvest diseases worldwide, such as the diseases caused by Alternaria species, which are very common in several crops. The management of fungal infections around the world largely relies on fungicides. In this context, the control of diseases such as early blight caused by Alternaria solani in potatoes and Alternaria linariae in tomatoes has mainly consisted of the application of fungicides, with negative impacts on the environment and human health. Recently, the application of ‘omics’ and gene editing through the CRISPR/Cas9 system and RNAi technologies demonstrated their effectiveness as emerging greener alternatives for controlling phytopathogenic fungi. Additionally, coatings based on essential oils and microbial antagonists suggest alternative strategies for controlling phytopathogenic fungi that are respectful of the environment. This review presents an exhaustive literature review focused on using greener alternatives to the traditional management of postharvest diseases associated with Alternaria species, such as inhibiting pathogenicity from their phytopathogenic genes using gene editing based on CRISPR/Cas9 and RNAi technologies. The review also presents coatings based on essential oils and microbial antagonists as greener strategies for Alternaria control. Biological processes of maximum efficiency can replace chemical methods for controlling phytopathogenic fungi, preserving healthy conditions in agricultural lands and ecosystems. This is possible with the rise of ‘omic’ technologies, the CRISPR/Cas9 tool, and RNAi technology. Greener control methods of Alternaria fungi can increase agricultural production, improving the economy and global health.
Agricultural food production is greatly affected by postharvest diseases worldwide, such as the diseases caused by Alternaria species, which are very common in several crops. The management of fungal infections around the world largely relies on fungicides. In this context, the control of diseases such as early blight caused by Alternaria solani in potatoes and Alternaria linariae in tomatoes has mainly consisted of the application of fungicides, with negative impacts on the environment and human health. Recently, the application of ‘omics’ and gene editing through the CRISPR/Cas9 system and RNAi technologies demonstrated their effectiveness as emerging greener alternatives for controlling phytopathogenic fungi. Additionally, coatings based on essential oils and microbial antagonists suggest alternative strategies for controlling phytopathogenic fungi that are respectful of the environment. This review presents an exhaustive literature review focused on using greener alternatives to the traditional management of postharvest diseases associated with Alternaria species, such as inhibiting pathogenicity from their phytopathogenic genes using gene editing based on CRISPR/Cas9 and RNAi technologies. The review also presents coatings based on essential oils and microbial antagonists as greener strategies for Alternaria control. Biological processes of maximum efficiency can replace chemical methods for controlling phytopathogenic fungi, preserving healthy conditions in agricultural lands and ecosystems. This is possible with the rise of ‘omic’ technologies, the CRISPR/Cas9 tool, and RNAi technology. Greener control methods of Alternaria fungi can increase agricultural production, improving the economy and global health.
Pythium oligandrum, strain M1, is a soil oomycete successfully used as a biological control agent (BCA), protecting plants against fungal, yeast, and oomycete pathogens through mycoparasitism and elicitor-dependent plant priming. The not yet described Pythium strains, X42 and 00X48, have shown potential as BCAs given the high activity of their secreted proteases, endoglycosidases, and tryptamine. Here, Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Micro-Tom seeds were coated with Pythium strains, and seedlings were exposed to fungal pathogens, either Alternaria brassicicola or Verticillium albo-atrum. The effects of both infection and seed-coating on plant metabolism were assessed by determining the activity and isoforms of antioxidant enzymes and endoglycosidases and the content of tryptamine, amino acids, and heat shock proteins. Dual culture competition testing and microscopy analysis confirmed mycoparasitism in all three Pythium strains. In turn, seed treatment significantly increased the total free amino acid content, changing their abundance in both non-infected and infected plants. In response to pathogens, plant Hsp70 and Hsp90 isoform levels also varied among Pythium strains, most likely as a strategy for priming the plant against infection. Overall, our results show in vitro mycoparasitism between Pythium strains and fungal pathogens and in planta involvement of heat shock proteins in priming.
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