Yeasts as a Potential Biological Agent in Plant Disease Protection and Yield Improvement—A Short Review

Jolanta Kowalska (), Joanna Krzymińska and Józef Tyburski
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Jolanta Kowalska: Department of Organic Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Institute of Plant Protection—National Research Institute, Władysława Węgorka 20, 60-318 Poznan, Poland
Joanna Krzymińska: Department of Organic Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Institute of Plant Protection—National Research Institute, Władysława Węgorka 20, 60-318 Poznan, Poland
Józef Tyburski: Department of Agroecosystems and Horticulture, University of Warmia and Mazury, Michala Oczapowskiego 2, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: The role of biocontrol products is expected to increase worldwide consumer demand and facilitate the implementation of sustainable agricultural policies. New biocontrol agents must allow for an effective crop-protection strategy in sustainable agriculture. Yeasts are microorganisms living in various niches of the environment that can be antagonists of many plant pathogens. Yeasts rapidly colonize plant surfaces, use nutrients from many sources, survive in a relatively wide temperature range, produce no harmful metabolites and have no deleterious effects on the final food products. Hence, they can be a good biocontrol agent. In this paper, the biological characteristics and potential of yeast are summarized. Additionally, the mechanisms of yeasts as plant-protection agents are presented. This includes the production of volatile organic compounds, production of killer toxins, competition for space and nutrient compounds, production of lytic enzymes, induction of plant immunity and mycoparasitism. The mechanisms of yeast interaction with plant hosts are also described, and examples of yeasts used for pre- and postharvest biocontrol are provided. Commercially available yeast-based products are listed and challenges for yeast-based products are described.

Keywords: biological agent of protection; microbial antagonism; enzyme secretion; organic agriculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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