Abstract Biological control offers an ecologically sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides, employing beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses to suppress phytopathogens. These antagonists act through multiple mechanisms, including competition for nutrients and space, production of antimicrobial compounds, induction of host resistance, and direct parasitism. The effectiveness of biocontrol depends on understanding the complex interactions among the host plant, pathogen, biocontrol agent, and environment. Plant-pathogen interactions throughout the crop’s life cycle influence disease outcomes, making the timing and method of application crucial. Despite promising laboratory and greenhouse results, the field performance of biological control agents (BCAs) often declines due to environmental fluctuations, microbial competition, and inconsistent pathogen pressure. Soil characteristics, temperature, humidity, and native microbiota further affect BCA establishment and efficacy. To overcome these challenges, current research focuses on microbial consortia, improved formulations, and optimized application strategies. Advances in molecular biology and omics technologies are providing new insights into the mechanisms, adaptation, and resilience of BCAs under field conditions. Strengthening the link between laboratory success and field reliability remains essential for effective biomanagement, as failure to achieve this translates into a major limitation of biomanagement strategies, namely their constrained effectiveness under variable field and climatic conditions due to environmental factors, formulation limitations, and limited technological support. This review summarizes current biological strategies for plant disease control, highlighting mechanisms, constraints, and innovations to enhance field-level performance.
Riaz et al. (2026) studied this question.