Research Information System
Türkiye Biyolojik Mücadele Dergisi, vol.12, no.1, pp.79-92, 2021 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
Organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and nematodes cause yield and
quality loss in agricultural production. The control of fungal pathogens is especially
challenging. The chemical pesticides used in the control of these pathogens are not
environmentally friendly, which increases the importance of alternative methods such as
the use of biopesticides. Biopesticides, which in relative terms are not harmful to human
health and the environment, are generally secondary metabolites from plants, viruses,
bacteria and fungi. Fungi produce various mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
More than 300 different fungal VOCs, including aldehydes, alcohols, benzene derivatives,
phenols, heterocycles, hydrocarbons, ketones, cyclohexanes, thioesters and thioalcohols,
have been described. The use of fungal VOCs against plant pathogens potentially provides
an ecofriendly alternative to the use of chemical pesticides. Research has shown that fungal
VOCs can be used effectively as inhibitory or repellent biopesticides against plant pathogens and insect pests. In this review, the potential uses of fungal VOCs against
different plant diseases and pests as substitutes for chemical pesticides within the scope of
biological control, are summarized.