Volatile Organic Compounds: A Review of Their Current Applications as Pest Biocontrol and Disease Management

Sustainable agriculture is the most desired solution to ensure food security for the growing world population and to face climate change. Furthermore, sustainable agriculture seeks alternatives to harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers. This review presents an overview of recent scientific research and potential applications of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as pest biocontrol and disease management during pre- and postharvest, along with possible limitations in scalability at the agricultural level. According to the information reviewed, bacteria, fungi, yeast, and plants are the principal organisms that produce VOCs with biotechnological potential. The main applications reported for VOCs are enhanced resistance/tolerance to abiotic stressors, such as drought, cold, and salinity, and an enhanced defense response against biotic stressors, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and insects. Some VOCs in particular present an antimicrobial effect on a wide range of plant and human pathogens. Therefore, VOCs are considered a promising, sustainable biocontrol strategy that can replace pesticides and fertilizers. However, future research needs to promote collaboration with farmers and the development of applications for VOCs at the industrial level.