Open AccessBiocontrol of plant disease: a (Gram‐) positive perspective
Author(s) -
Emmert Elizabeth A.B,
Handelsman Jo
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1999.tb13405.x
Subject(s) - biological pest control , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , plant disease , environmentally friendly , biochemical engineering , ecology , engineering
Biological control offers an environmentally friendly alternative to the use of pesticides for controlling plant diseases. Unfortunately, growers continue to use chemical control over biological agents, and lack of knowledge often contributes to the downfall of a biocontrol agent. Knowledge of the biological environment in which the agent will be used and of how to produce a stable formulation are both critical to successful biocontrol. Certain Gram‐positive bacteria have a natural formulation advantage over their Gram‐negative counterparts: the spore. Although the Gram‐positive bacteria have not been as well represented in the biocontrol literature, their spore‐forming abilities and historical industrial uses bode well for biocontrol success. Here we describe several systems utilizing Gram‐positive biocontrol agents that have been researched in depth and provide models for the future of biocontrol.