Utilization of antagonistic microbes for the eco-friendly management of fungal diseases of the harvested fruits during postharvest handling and storage

Various fungal diseases are responsible for significant losses in harvested fruits and vegetables. Traditionally, synthetic fungicides are primarily used to control postharvest spoilage losses. Among the suggested several eco-friendly alternatives, biological control of postharvest diseases of fruits using antagonistic microorganisms has been explored as one of the many promising substitute to chemical fungicides. Prospective of several microbial antagonists, isolated from a diversity of sources, including fruit surfaces, the phyllosphere, different soils, and sea water in postharvest disease suppression has been investigated. Several modes of action have been proposed for their fungistatic activities including competition for nutrients and space, mycoparasitism, secretion of antifungal antibiotics and volatile metabolites, and induction of host resistance. Compared to preharvest use, postharvest applications of microbial antagonists are more successful in efficient disease control. Attempts have also been made to improve their overall efficacy by combining them with various salt and food additives, surfactants, physical treatments like hot water dips, UV irradiation, and modified atmosphere storage, etc. The present chapter gives an overview on use of microbial antagonists as postharvest biocontrol agents and summarizes information on their source of isolation, mechanisms of action, application methods, efficacy enhancement, product formulation, and commercialization with future area of research.