Utilizing Environmentally Friendly Techniques for the Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens: A Review

Utilizing environmentally friendly techniques for pathogen control in agriculture is a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to managing crop diseases. These techniques leverage the natural environment and ecosystem dynamics to reduce pathogen pressure, minimize the use of chemical inputs, and promo...

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Main Authors: Maria Alexandra Cucu, Ravish Choudhary, Vojislav Trkulja, Shivani Garg, Slavica Matić
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1551
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author Maria Alexandra Cucu
Ravish Choudhary
Vojislav Trkulja
Shivani Garg
Slavica Matić
author_facet Maria Alexandra Cucu
Ravish Choudhary
Vojislav Trkulja
Shivani Garg
Slavica Matić
author_sort Maria Alexandra Cucu
collection DOAJ
description Utilizing environmentally friendly techniques for pathogen control in agriculture is a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to managing crop diseases. These techniques leverage the natural environment and ecosystem dynamics to reduce pathogen pressure, minimize the use of chemical inputs, and promote long-term agricultural productivity. Key strategies include crop rotation, intercropping, and maintaining biodiversity, all of which disrupt pathogen life cycles and enhance soil health. Biological control, such as introducing natural antagonists like beneficial fungi or bacteria, suppresses pathogen populations while promoting plant resilience. Additionally, practices such as mulching, soil solarization, and water management optimize environmental conditions to limit the development and spread of pathogens. These techniques also contribute to integrated pest management by providing sustainable, cost-effective solutions that reduce chemical dependency and mitigate climate change and other environmental impacts. This review discusses the importance of utilizing environmentally friendly techniques, highlighting their advantages, practical challenges, and limitations in different agro-ecological settings, and their role in advancing sustainable agriculture.
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series Agronomy
spelling doaj-art-d9ae11ab60fc4de691fba8790b8b332d2025-08-20T03:13:42ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-06-01157155110.3390/agronomy15071551Utilizing Environmentally Friendly Techniques for the Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens: A ReviewMaria Alexandra Cucu0Ravish Choudhary1Vojislav Trkulja2Shivani Garg3Slavica Matić4Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, ItalyDivision of Seed Science and Technology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, IndiaAgricultural Institute of Republic of Srpska, Knjaza Milosa 17, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and HerzegovinaInstitute of Environmental Studies, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 136119, IndiaInstitute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, ItalyUtilizing environmentally friendly techniques for pathogen control in agriculture is a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to managing crop diseases. These techniques leverage the natural environment and ecosystem dynamics to reduce pathogen pressure, minimize the use of chemical inputs, and promote long-term agricultural productivity. Key strategies include crop rotation, intercropping, and maintaining biodiversity, all of which disrupt pathogen life cycles and enhance soil health. Biological control, such as introducing natural antagonists like beneficial fungi or bacteria, suppresses pathogen populations while promoting plant resilience. Additionally, practices such as mulching, soil solarization, and water management optimize environmental conditions to limit the development and spread of pathogens. These techniques also contribute to integrated pest management by providing sustainable, cost-effective solutions that reduce chemical dependency and mitigate climate change and other environmental impacts. This review discusses the importance of utilizing environmentally friendly techniques, highlighting their advantages, practical challenges, and limitations in different agro-ecological settings, and their role in advancing sustainable agriculture.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1551biological controlsoil biodiversityintercroppingcrop rotationsoil solarizationmulching
spellingShingle Maria Alexandra Cucu
Ravish Choudhary
Vojislav Trkulja
Shivani Garg
Slavica Matić
Utilizing Environmentally Friendly Techniques for the Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens: A Review
Agronomy
biological control
soil biodiversity
intercropping
crop rotation
soil solarization
mulching
title Utilizing Environmentally Friendly Techniques for the Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens: A Review
title_full Utilizing Environmentally Friendly Techniques for the Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens: A Review
title_fullStr Utilizing Environmentally Friendly Techniques for the Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens: A Review
title_full_unstemmed Utilizing Environmentally Friendly Techniques for the Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens: A Review
title_short Utilizing Environmentally Friendly Techniques for the Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens: A Review
title_sort utilizing environmentally friendly techniques for the sustainable control of plant pathogens a review
topic biological control
soil biodiversity
intercropping
crop rotation
soil solarization
mulching
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1551
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