Application of food-grade natural antimicrobials for the control of crop disease caused by phytopathogens.

Phytopathogens can cause crop disease in agriculture, thus, synthetic pesticides are used to prevent disease. However, this type of pesticide has an adverse effect on human and environmental health. Consequently, it is important to develop natural pesticides for crop protection. The final goal of crop protection is enhancing the quality of fresh products for consumers, suggesting that crop safety is related with food safety. Several studies have investigated the effect of food-grade natural antimicrobials on phytopathogens in vitro and ex vivo. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of bactericidal effects when using natural antimicrobial compounds, including essential oils, plant extracts, and carboxylic acids, and their mechanisms of antibacterial action. However, more studies are needed to investigate the efficacy of natural antimicrobial compounds on phytopathogens in field conditions. © The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2022.