Plants are often subject to attack by fungi, nematodes and insects, which generate immense yield losses. Hence, the quest for crop protection solutions is ongoing, concurrent with greater awareness towards the use of synthetic chemicals in agricultural practice. Scientific research has shifted towards the use of natural products, which possess good efficacy and are environment friendly. This review details two classes of natural products. The first one is the plant essential oils with their volatile constituents, which have been proven to possess antifungal, nematicidal and insecticidal activities. The second class is the lipopeptides produced by antagonistic microorganisms. Their biological activities are discussed, as they have been shown effective against plant fungi and pests. Essential oils and lipopeptides have huge potential to be used as biopesticides. The combinatorial approach between essential oils, antagonistic microorganisms and lipopeptides for crop protection is discussed, potentially both can produce a synergistic effect, resulting from their combination against plant fungi, nematodes and pests.

Chemical profiles of essential oils hydrodistilled from whole plants of Senecio glaucus ssp. coronopifolius (Maire) Alexander and aerial parts of Ridolfia segetum (L.) Moris growing in Morocco were determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The analysis identified 84 compounds in the oil isolated from S. glaucus ssp. coronopifolius and 61 constituents in R. segetum oil. Both oils had a predominance of monoterpene hydrocarbons. alpha-Pinene (26.2 %) was the main compound of S. glaucus ssp. coronopifolius oil, followed by myrcene (11.4 %) and p-cymene (9.9 %). Novelly (Z)-beta-ocimene (19.7 %) dominated R. segetum oil, followed by beta-phellandrene (9.6 %) and beta-pinene (8.6 %). This is the first report of (Z)-beta-ocimene-rich essential oil from R. segetum and alpha-pinene-rich essential oil from S. glaucus ssp. coronopifolius, revealing new chemical profiles for both species. The oils have potential in agroecological and pharmaceutical formulations, serving both economic and medicinal applications.

Amélioration de la qualité des fruits conservés avec des huiles essentielles prolongeant le stockage Description du sujet. Les framboises et les fraises sont très périssables à cause du développement fongique après récolte. De nombreuses études ont démontré que les huiles essentielles peuvent être des biopesticides prometteurs pour maintenir la qualité des fruits frais pendant le stockage post-récolte. Objectifs. Ce travail visait à évaluer le potentiel des huiles essentielles (HEs) d’Ismelia carinata et de Cladanthus arabicus (Asteraceae) à prolonger la durée de conservation des framboises et des fraises. Méthode. La composition chimique des huiles essentielles d’I. carinata et de C. arabicus a été analysée par CG/SM. Les effets antifongiques in vitro des HEs ont été testés contre Botrytis cinerea par les méthodes de dilution en gélose et de diffusion sur disque. Les HEs d’I. carinata et de C. arabicus ont été utilisées comme agents bioactifs pour préserver la qualité des baies pendant 15 jours en chambre froide. Le pH, l’acidité titrable, les solides solubles totaux et l’indice de maturité des baies traitées avec 400 mg·l-1 d’HE d’I. carinata ont également été analysés. Résultats. L’analyse par CG/SM a révélé que les principaux composés d’I. carinata étaient le tau-cadinol (65,93 %) et le tau-muurolol (24,65 %) et ceux de C. arabicus étaient le β-pinène (23,58 %) et le tau-cadinol (9,54 %). Les deux HE testées ont montré les meilleurs pourcentages d'inhibition contre B. cinerea en utilisant la méthode de dilution en gélose. L’HE d’I. carinata était un agent de conservation efficace pour les framboises et les fraises pendant le stockage à 4 °C. L’indice de maturité des deux baies était significatif par rapport aux témoins non traités (p ≤ 0,05). Conclusions. L’HE d’I. carinata est prometteuse pour l’amélioration de la qualité des fruits en chambre froide, avec un bénéfice ultérieur pour les chaines d’approvisionnement en fruits. Description of the subject. Raspberries and strawberries are highly perishable due to postharvest fungal development. Numerous studies have shown that essential oils can be promising biopesticides for maintaining the quality of fresh fruit during postharvest storage. Objectives. This work aimed to evaluate the potential of Ismelia carinata and Cladanthus arabicus (Asteraceae) essential oils (EOs) to extend the shelf life of raspberries and strawberries. Method. The chemical composition of EOs from I. carinata and C. arabicus was analyzed using GC/MS. In vitro antifungal effects of EOs using agar dilution and disk diffusion methods were tested against Botrytis cinerea. The I. carinata and C. arabicus EOs were used as bioactive agents to preserve the quality of berries during 15 days in cold storage. Also, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and maturity index of berries treated with 400 mg·l-1 of I. carinata EO are analyzed. Results. The GC/MS analysis revealed that the major compounds were tau-cadinol (65.93%) and tau-muurolol (24.65%) for I. carinata, β-pinene (23.58%), and tau-cadinol (9.54%) for C. arabicus. Both EOs tested showed best inhibition percentages against B.cinerea using the agar dilution method. Ismelia carinata EO was an efficient preservative agent for raspberries and strawberries during storage at 4 °C. The maturity index of both berries was significant compared to untreated controls (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions. Ismelia carinata EO holds promise for extending fruit quality in cold storage, with subsequent benefit to fruit marketing supply chains.