Allelopath ic Interactions in the Biological Control of Postharvest Diseases of Fruit

Allelopathic interactions occur among microorganisms when biochemicals produced by one organism influence another. Microbial antagonists used to control diseases of plants, produce secondary metabolites that influence plant pathogens. These secondary metabolites influence plant disease by antibiosis, nutrient competition, parasitism, or inducing resistance in the plant. Research has been conducted on the mechanisms by which antagonists of postharvest pathogens control diseases. Although there is evidence that antibiotics, degredative enzymes, and nutrient sequestering molecules may be involved in biological control of postharvest diseases, conclusive demonstrations of their roles are lacking. Molecular genetic tools have been effectively used in research on biological control of soilborne plant pathogens. Use of these tools will greatly advance our understanding of how microbial inoculants control postharvest diseases of plants.