Plant pathogenic fungi pose a persistent global threat to food security, causing severe yield losses in staple crops and increasing dependence on chemical fungicides. However, the ecological and toxicological drawbacks of synthetic fungicides have intensified the search for safer, plant-derived alternatives. This review synthesizes current advances on the antifungal mechanisms of plant essential oils (EOs) and their prospects for biofungicide development. The literature reveals that the antifungal activity of EOs arises from their diverse phytochemical composition, principally terpenes, phenolics, and aldehydes that target multiple fungal cellular sites. These compounds disrupt membrane integrity through ergosterol depletion, inhibit chitin and β-glucan synthesis, interfere with mitochondrial energy metabolism, and induce oxidative stress, leading to lipid peroxidation and cell death. Morphological and transcriptomic evidence confirms that EOs alter hyphal growth, spore germination, and key gene expression pathways associated with fungal virulence. Furthermore, emerging nanotechnological and encapsulation strategies enhance EO stability, bioavailability, and field persistence, addressing major barriers to their large-scale agricultural application. The integration of EO-based biofungicides within sustainable and precision agriculture frameworks offers a promising route to reduce chemical inputs, mitigate resistance development, and promote ecological balance. This review underscores the need for interdisciplinary research linking phytochemistry, nanotechnology, and agronomy to translate EO-based antifungal mechanisms into next-generation, environmentally compatible crop protection systems.

This paper discusses the mechanisms by which fungi manipulate plant physiology and suppress plant defense responses by producing effectors that can target various host proteins. Effector-triggered immunity and effector-triggered susceptibility are pivotal elements in the complex molecular dialogue underlying plant–pathogen interactions. Pathogen-produced effector molecules possess the ability to mimic pathogen-associated molecular patterns or hinder the binding of pattern recognition receptors. Effectors can directly target nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat receptors, or manipulate downstream signaling components to suppress plant defense. Interactions between these effectors and receptor-like kinases in host plants are critical in this process. Biotrophic fungi adeptly exploit the signaling networks of key plant hormones, including salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, and ethylene, to establish a compatible interaction with their plant hosts. Overall, the paper highlights the importance of understanding the complex interplay between plant defense mechanisms and fungal effectors to develop effective strategies for plant disease management.

Studies on the morpho-physiology of cryo-derived pineapple plants after acclimatization have been quite limited. Therefore, in the present study, the morpho-anatomical and physiological characteristics of cryo-derived Ananas comosus var. comosus ‘MD-2’ plants after acclimatization were investigated. Plants obtained from cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved shoot tips, as well as in vitro stock cultures (control), showed similar morphological development (viz. plant height, number of leaves, D leaf length, D leaf width, D leaf area, diameter of stem base, number of roots, plant fresh weight and plant dry weight) to conventionally micropropagated and non-cryopreserved plants. The pineapple plantlets developed efficient anatomical leaf structures that allowed them to adapt to the transition process from in vitro to ex vitro. In all groups of plants, the content of water and chlorophylls (a, a + b, a/b) decreased during the first 15 days of acclimatization and then remained constant until the end of the evaluation. The mesophilic succulence index increased to its maximum value after 15 days, then decreased and remained constant up to 45 days. Although physiological indicators fluctuated during the 45 days of acclimatization, no differences were observed in any of the indicators evaluated when plantlets obtained from cryopreserved shoot tips were compared with controls. The results of the plants from cryopreserved shoot tips show that they switched from C3 to Crassulacean acid metabolism, which denoted metabolic stability during acclimatization.

Given the importance of using endophytic bacteria for the control of cocoa diseases, the objective of this study was to build the phylogenetic tree and characterize the endophytic endospore-forming bacteria based on the cropping altitude, age and tissue of the cocoa plant in a producing area of the Esmeraldas province, in Ecuador. The isolation of bacteria was done from healthy pods and flower pedicels from cocoa Criollo Type Nacional cultivar. Forty-five endospore forming endophytic bacteria were recovered from healthy pods and flowers pedunculus, mainly from endocarp. No association was found between the number of bacterial isolates and the age of the fruit, although there was a slight tendency for the isolates to decrease towards the higher altitude sites.