Screening of Microbial Biocontrol Agents Using Traditional and In Silico Approaches

In the recent past, achieving food security for the rising global population has been one of the severe challenges due to changing climatic conditions or the food loss due to pest or pathogen attack during harvesting or postharvest storage conditions. However to control the losses caused by plant diseases or postharvest storage loss, farmers or the industries generally rely upon the chemical pesticides. But the uncontrolled and regular application of chemicals emerges as a serious concern for the soil texture, crop quality, human health, or the surrounding environments. In addition, the emergence of chemical resistance pest and alteration in the natural microflora of soil or plants are some other major adverse issues with the utilization of chemical pesticides in the agricultural field. Microbial biocontrol agents (BCAs) offer sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides for managing plant diseases. This study evaluates BCAs using in vivo, in vitro, and in silico analyses to identify effective strains for agricultural application. In vivo screening in natural and greenhouse conditions measured lesion diameter, disease severity, and plant physiological status. In vitro assays assessed the antagonistic activity of BCAs against pathogens, focusing on inhibition zones and pathogen growth suppression. In silico analysis involved genomic and metabolomic data to predict BCA efficacy and interaction mechanisms with host plants. The results demonstrate that integrating these methodologies provides a comprehensive understanding of BCA potential, highlighting the influence of plant genotype, endophyte colonization, and environmental factors on biocontrol efficiency. This multifaceted approach enhances the selection process for robust BCAs, paving the way for their practical use in sustainable agriculture.