Bacteriophages: an overview of the control strategies against phytopathogens

Abstract Food demand is directly associated with the human population. Due to various plant diseases, there has been a reduction in crop yield. There is an extreme necessity to low such losses in crop yield to meet the rising demand for food. Novel and eco-friendly control approaches should be developed for combating bacterial diseases of crops. Recent control strategies that involve the usage of antibiotics or chemicals are no more effective because of resistance developed by bacterial species. Furthermore, the usage of such agents has proven to be not environmentally friendly. To overcome these issues, bacteriophages are used as an alternative solution. Phages are viruses that attack specific bacterial species, and within current years much consideration is received by them in controlling different diseases caused by bacteria. Phages can be used for controlling different crop-related diseases. Several phage-based products are accessible in the market. Compared to chemical control methods, phage biocontrol offers several advantages. Mixtures of phages can be employed to target pathogenic bacteria. Unlike chemical control strategies, phage mixtures can be readily adjusted to counter any potential resistance. This review summarizes the use of phages as a biocontrol agent against phytopathogens.