Eco Friendly Management of Alternaria Blight Disease: A Review

Abstract

The World is passing through a critical phase of climate change and its effect on the ecosystem. It can be related to growing plant diseases that are becoming more and more important because of the losses they cause. So controlling plant disease is very crucial looking at the growing population and availability of arable land. Alternaria leaf spot or leaf blight caused by different species of Alternaria is a major threat to growing crops mostly vegetables. It can lead to yield losses ranging from 20% to 80% worldwide. Chemical fungicides have been effectively managing this disease, but their extensive use has raised concerns due to adverse impacts on environmental and human health. There is an increasing demand for sustainable and eco- friendly management to combat the disease. Some emerging approaches offer promising alternatives to chemical control like the use of biocontrol agents (e.g., Trichoderma spp., Pseudomonas), plant-derived products (e.g., neem extracts, essential oils), and disease-resistant varieties, etc. These alternative and eco-friendly methods not only give long-term sustainability in agricultural production but also reduce the environmental hazards associated with the overuse of fungicides. So this review sheds light on the importance of an integrated disease management approach that can be employed in diverse agroclimatic conditions, aiming to reduce the impact of Alternaria spp. on crop productivity, improving global ecosystem health and a greener environment.