A REVIEW ON ECO FRIENDLY PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIC FRUIT CULTURE; ADVANCES IN BIO CONTROL AND BOTANICAL EXTRACTS

ABSTRACT Growing demand for residue-free and organic fruit production has encouraged the use of organic agricultural systems worldwide. The main problem in organic horticulture is the management of pests and diseases without using synthetic chemicals. The present review is concerned with recent developments in environmentally safe techniques for pest and disease management in organic fruit culture with particular emphasis on microbial biocontrol agents and plant extracts. Microbial antagonists like Bacillus spp., Trichoderma spp., Pantoea agglomerans, and entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana proved to be highly efficient against a wide range of plant pathogens and insect pests by competition, parasitism, induction of systemic resistance, and antimicrobial metabolite production mechanisms. Simultaneously, plant extracts—i.e., neem (Azadirachtin), essential oils (peppermint, thyme, clove), and industrial biopesticides such as Timorex Gold—provide excellent natural options with more than a single mode of action. The use of such technologies along with advances in microbial consortia, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and microbiome engineering provide a diversified, long-term strategy toward disease and pest management in organic fruit crops. However, issues are raised with respect to large-scale use, field efficacy, and registration. This manuscript illustrates major progress, effectiveness information, application methods, and potential study possibilities to enhance organic fruit production's productivity and resistance.