(1) Background: Spain is the sixth strawberry producer in the world, with about 6500 ha producing more than 350,000 tons, and an annual commercial value about 390 million €. Stunted and dead strawberry plants are frequently associated with plant-parasitic nematodes, but nematode diseases have not been characterized to date in the country. (2) Methods: A poll on the perception of the impact of nematodes on strawberry production was carried out by face-to-face interviews with farm advisors. In addition, nematological field surveys were carried out at the end of the growing season in 2017 and 2018 to determine prevalence and abundance of plant-parasitic nematodes in strawberry crops. The host suitability to Meloidogyne hapla of seventeen strawberry cultivars and the tolerance limit to M. hapla at progressively higher initial population densities (Pi) were assessed in pot experiments in a growth chamber. Comparison of the relative efficacies of several soil disinfestation methods in controlling nematode populations (M. hapla and Pratylenchus penetrans) was carried out in experimental field trials for twelve consecutive years. (3) Results: Meloidogyne spp., Pratylenchus penetrans, and Hemicycliophora spp. were the main plant-parasitic nematodes in the strawberry fields in South Spain. Root-knot nematodes were found in 90% of the fields, being M. hapla the most prevalent species (71% of the fields). A tolerance limit of 0.2 M. hapla juveniles per g of soil was estimated for strawberry, and currently cropped strawberry cultivars did not show resistance to M. hapla. Nematode population densities were reduced by more than 70% by soil fumigation with 1,3-dichloropropene, dazomet, dimethyl-disulfide, and methyl iodide. The efficacy of metam-sodium in reducing nematode populations was about 50% and that of chloropicrin, furfural, and sodium-azide, less than 40%. Combination of solarization with organic manures (biosolarization) reduced soil nematode populations by 68–73%. (4) Conclusions: Plant-parasitic nematodes (Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, and Hemicycliophora) are widely distributed in the strawberry fields of Southern Spain. Strawberry is a poor host for M. hapla with a tolerance limit of 0.2 J2 per g of soil, and low population increases in cropping cycles of 7–8 months. Strawberry cultivars show a range of susceptibility and tolerance to M. hapla, but no resistance is found. Nematodes are effectively controlled by chemical fumigation of soils, but soil biosolarization is equally effective, and therefore, can be proposed as a sustainable alternative for pathogen control in strawberry cultivation.

Agriculture currently confronts a multitude of challenges arising from the excessive utilization of chemical pesticides and the proliferation of phytopathogenic fungi strains that exhibit resistance to commonly employed active compounds in the field. Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum acutatum are phytopathogenic fungi that inflict substantial economic losses within agriculture and food due to their high impacts on crops both pre- and post-harvest. Furthermore, the emergence of fungal strains that are resistant to commercial fungicides has exacerbated this problem. To explore more environmentally sustainable alternatives for the control of these pathogens, an investigation into the endophytic bacteria associated with ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) was conducted. The primary focus of this study involved evaluating their inhibitory efficacy against the fungi and assessing their potential for promoting plant growth. The endophytic bacteria genera Lelliottia, Lysinibacillus, Kocuria, Agrococcus, Acinetobacter, Agrobacterium, Zymobacter, and Mycolicibacterium were identified. All isolates showed remarkable in vitro antagonistic ability against B. cinerea (>94%) and C. acutatum (>74%). Notably, the Lelliottia amnigena J29 strain exhibited a notable proficiency in producing extracellular enzymes and indole compounds (IAA), solubilizing phosphate and potassium, and forming biofilm. Furthermore, the Lysinibacillus capsici J26, Agrococcus citreus J28, and Mycolicibacterium sp. J5 strains displayed the capacity for atmospheric nitrogen fixation and siderophore production. These findings underscore the agricultural and biotechnological potential of endophytic bacteria derived from ginger plants and suggest the feasibility of developing alternative approaches to manage these two phytopathogenic fungi.

Losses caused by phytoparasitic nematodes in crops depend directly on their soil densities at the start of the crop, so reducing their populations before planting is the main aim of nematological management. Efficacies in reducing Meloidogyne soil populations of soil disinfestation methods, such as agrochemicals, botanicals, or biosolarization were estimated on multiple field trials conducted over fourteen years in intensive horticultural crops. Soil nematode populations were reduced by 87 to 78% after fumigation with 1,3-dichloropropene + chloropicrin and dimethyl-disulphide, respectively. Non-fumigant nematicides such as azadirachtin, dazomet, fenamiphos, fluopyram, fosthiazate, metam-sodium, and oxamyl showed efficacies ranging from 51 to 64%, whereas the efficacy of natural products, such as abamectin, garlic extracts, or essential oils was 41 to 48%. Biosolarization with chicken manure had an efficacy of 73%. An economic cost-benefit study of nematode management methods was performed for seven vegetable–M. incognita pathosystems. Fumigation with 1,3-dichloropropene + chloropicrin and biosolarization with chicken manure were the only treatments able to reduce RKN populations above 1000 and 750 J2 per 100 cm³ of soil, respectively, to levels below the nematode economic damage threshold, keeping profitability. Fumigation was able to manage RKN soil densities up to 350 J2 per 100 cm³ of soil in most susceptible crops as aubergine or cucumber and up to 1000 J2 per 100 cm³ of soil for more tolerant crops, such as other cucurbits, pepper, or tomato. Other nematicidal treatments were not able to reduce RKN populations above 200–300 J2/100 cm³ of soil below the economic thresholds but were profitable when RKN densities were below the limits of 200–300 J2/100 cm³ of soil.

The nematicidal efficacy of milbemectin and its commercial formulate Milbeknock^® on (i) egg hatching, (ii) juvenile motility and (iii) infective capacity of root-knot nematodes was evaluated in vitro and in planta assays. Serial dilutions of pure milbemectin were tested against nematode eggs and juveniles and lethal concentrations LC50 and LC90 calculated. Exposure of egg masses to milbemectin at a concentration of 30 μg/mL for 72 h reduced egg hatching by 52%. The increase in exposure time to 240 h did not increase the egg hatching inhibition at the highest concentration 30 μg/mL (53%) but reduced egg hatching at 15 and 7 μg/mL by 35 and 24%, respectively, when compared to untreated controls. The inhibitory effect of milbemectin on juvenile motility ranged from 41 to 87% depending on its concentration, and this effect was persistent after rinsing the juveniles in water. The probabilistic dose–response model indicated that lethal concentrations of milbemectin for juvenile motility were LC50: 7.4 μg/mL and LC90: 29.9 μg/mL. The pre-plant application of Milbeknock^® to soils infested with the nematode reduced its infective capacity by 98–99% compared to untreated soils in pot experiments. Milbeknock^® reduced nematode soil population densities by 50–60% in natural infestations under field conditions. Milbemectin shows a high level of efficacy against root-knot nematodes as it reduces egg hatching, persistently immobilizes nematode juveniles, and reduces tomato root infection.

Strawberry is a high-value crop in Spain, where fruits for fresh consumption are produced off-season and exported to central and northern European countries. Soil-borne pathogens (SBP), such as Macrophomina phaseolina and Meloidogyne hapla, are widely spread in strawberry crops in Spain. The prevalence of these pathogens is a significant barrier to producing strawberries of premium quality and at profitable yields. The current ban on fumigant pesticides drives the search for alternative SBP control methods that can simultaneously control both SBP. Twenty-nine bacterial strains were isolated and identified from strawberry and blueberry rhizospheres and screened for plant growth promotion activities as well as for biocontrol potential on M. phaseolina and M. hapla. Two of these bacterial strains (Bacillus velezensis FC37 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa AC17), together with Brevibacterium frigoritolerans Hvs8 coming from IFAPA’s bacterial collection, were selected and evaluated in planta for their biocontrol potential on strawberry SBP diseases caused by M. phaseolina and M. hapla. The three tested bacterial strains reduced charcoal rot disease severity, crown incidence and severity, and petiole colonization by M. phaseolina. Root-knot nematode (RKN) symptoms were reduced by P. aeruginosa AC17 and B. velezensis FC37, but RKN reproduction was only reduced in plants inoculated with P. aeruginosa AC17. Pseudomonas aeruginosa AC17 showed the greatest potential as a biocontrol agent candidate to be included in integrated disease management programs to control the two most prevalent soil-borne pathogens of strawberry in Spain.

Endophytic fungi were isolated from ginger (Zingiber officinale) tubers and identified through molecular characterization of ITS and 28S rRNA regions. Nine species were obtained, belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Plectosphaerella, and Pseudogymnoascus. Several isolates, particularly Penicillium melinii, Aspergillus ustus, and Plectosphaerella cucumerina, exhibited strong antagonistic activity against Botrytis cinerea (up to 98.6% growth inhibition), while moderate effects were observed against Colletotrichum acutatum, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. All isolates produced at least one extracellular enzyme, with lipolytic and cellulolytic enzymes being the most frequently observed, and showed measurable antioxidant activity (EC₅₀ values ranging from 21.7 to 673.6 µg/mL). P. melinii and P. cucumerina demonstrated the highest radical scavenging capacities. These findings reveal the multifunctional potential of ginger-associated endophytic fungi as sustainable sources of bioactive compounds, with promising applications in biocontrol, food preservation, and industrial biotechnology.