BACKGROUNDSynthetic fungicides raise environmental and health concerns, and microorganisms are emerging as promising natural antagonists in plant protection. This study evaluated strain XY101 and its volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as biocontrol agents against pear Valsa canker caused by Vasal pyri, aiming to identify the antifungal mechanisms and key compounds.RESULTSThe biocontrol fungus was identified

BACKGROUNDCowpea is a favorite vegetable around the world. In China, the tender pods of cowpea are the primary edible part. However, cowpea is vulnerable to a variety of pests throughout its entire growth cycle. Lepidopteran insects, including the legume pod borer (LPB, Maruca vitrata), beet armyworm (BAW, Spodoptera exigua), and tobacco cutworm (TCW, Spodoptera litura), are the major pests to cowpea

BACKGROUNDConventional pesticide application equipment (PAE) is used to apply entomopathogenic nematode (EPN)‐based bioinsecticides, but their closed hydraulic systems could raise the temperature of the spray mixture up to 40 °C, potentially harming EPN, since temperatures above 30 °C can immobilize nematodes, reducing their infective capacity. This study aimed to identify the most suitable method

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The global agricultural sector faces immense challenges in ensuring food security for a growing population while safeguarding environmental and human health. The discovery of new products and solutions for the sustainable crop protection of the future is an imperative necessity and a matter of great urgency. With the purpose to showcase the most recent innovations and developments in crop protection