Dr. Mina Rastgou, Siroos Honarvar,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (2-2024)
Abstract
Rastgou, M., & Honarvar, S. (2024). Application of phages for biological control of plants pathogenic bacteria. Plant Pathology Science, 13(1),55-64.
Pathogenic bacteria are one of the most important factors in reducing the yield of plant products. In the past, the management of these pathogens was limited to the use of antibacterial compounds or resistance inducers, but with the discovery of bacteriophages in recent decades, attention to their use has increased. Bacteriophages or phages are viruses that specifically affect bacterial cells. Currently, hundreds of bacteriophages have been isolated and tested against plant pathogenic bacteria, and there are still many more that need to be investigated. This approach requires special protocols to identify new phages, understand the emergence of phage-resistant clones and the infectivity of other bacterial species. Phage therapy or the use of phages to biological control plant pathogenic bacteria due to its cheapness, very high specificity of phages against bacteria, no negative effect on humans or animals, and no environmental pollution, as a suitable method to control these pathogens can be considered.
