Post-harvest bacterial infections pose a serious threat to modern agriculture, resulting in substantial financial losses and environmental issues. Every year, microbial spoiling causes a significant loss in fruit and vegetable production, and traditional control techniques are frequently insufficient. This review highlights novel delivery systems such as edible films and coatings while analyzing recent developments in bacteriophage-based post-harvest disease management techniques. Bacterial resistance, environmental stability, and regulatory issues restrict the use of bacteriophages, despite their high specificity, biodegradability, and low environmental impact. Phage viability in storage and the field has increased thanks to developments in formulation technologies, such as encapsulation and stabilization. The review highlights the practical implementation of phage applications in post-harvest disease management, with a particular focus on innovative delivery systems as well as integrating legal and regulatory viewpoints. By bridging scientific innovation with legal and commercial considerations, this work offers an interdisciplinary foundation for advancing sustainable, phage-based approach.

Bacterial diseases cause significant economic losses and pose a major challenge to global crop yields. These diseases reduce yields and affect food security, particularly for small-scale farmers in developing regions. Post-harvest losses also contribute to resource waste, soil degradation, and deforestation. Conventional management strategies, such as synthetic fungicides and antimicrobials, raise concerns about environmental sustainability, human health, and pathogen resistance. Bacteriophages—viruses that selectively infect bacterial pathogens—offer a highly specific and eco-friendly alternative for disease management both post-harvest and pre-harvest, reducing the need for chemical pesticides throughout the plant lifecycle. This review examines bacteriophage biology, advantages over traditional treatments, and challenges to their application. Phages effectively target pathogens such as Pectobacterium, Xanthomonas, Xylella, Clavibacter, and Dickeya, while preserving beneficial microorganisms. Key challenges include bacterial resistance, regulatory hurdles, and phage stability under environmental conditions. Advances in phage genomics, bioengineering, and formulation have enhanced viability and efficacy, supporting phages as promising biocontrol agents. Integrating phage therapy with other eco-friendly strategies may improve effectiveness further. Future research should focus on optimizing production, refining regulations, and large-scale field studies to ensure practical feasibility. Addressing these issues will help bacteriophages contribute significantly to sustainable plant disease management and global food security.

Podstawę diagnostyki fitopatologicznej stanowią postulaty Kocha, których spełnienie pozwala stwierdzić czy badany mikroorganizm jest sprawcą danej choroby. Trzeci z tych postulatów określa, że inokulacja zdrowej rośliny-gospodarza czystą kulturą domniemanego patogenu musi skutkować wywołaniem objawów chorobowych podobnych, lub takich samych, do tych jakie występują w warunkach naturalnych. Do spełnienia trzeciego postulatu Kocha wymagany jest wynik testu patogenności, którego niewłaściwa interpretacja może prowadzić do odrzucenia prawidłowych wyników. Wieloletnie badania nad bakteriozami roślin uprawnych, w tym kukurydzy, wykazały że objawy choroby powstałe od inokulacji badanym szczepem bakterii, mogą się różnić, w zależności od użytej metody inokulacji i warun­ków inkubacji zainokulowanych roślin. W ramach przeprowadzonych badań określono wpływ różnych metod inokulacji roślin kukurydzy wybranymi szczepami patogennych bakterii wyosobnionych z chorych roślin kukurydzy, na powstawanie i rozwój objawów chorobowych. Szczepy te należały do gatunków Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, Dickeya zeae, Pantoea ananatis, Pantoea agglome­rans i Enterobacter cloaceae subsp. dissolvens. Zaobserwowano, że objawy choroby spowodowane przez użyte metody inokulacji, różnią się od objawów obserwowanych w warunkach naturalnych. Ponadto, niezależnie od przynależności gatunkowej badanych szczepów bakterii, obserwowane objawy były zbliżone w obrębie danej metody inokulacji. Również, niezależnie od przynależności gatunkowej ba­danego szczepu, inkubacja zainokulowanych roślin w komorze hodowlanej, w której panowały warunki optymalne dla rozwoju choroby, powodowała przyspieszenie powstawania objawów i rozwoju choroby. The basis of phytopathological diagnostics are Koch’s postulates, the fulfillment of which allows determining whether the examined microorganism is the cause of a given disease. The third of these postulates specifies that inoculation of a healthy host plant with a pure culture of the putative pathogen must result in the induction of disease symptoms similar or the same to those occurring in natural con­ditions. To meet Koch’s third postulate, a pathogenicity test result is required, and incorrect interpretation may lead to rejection of cor­rect results. Many years of research on bacteriosis of crop plants, including corn, have shown that the symptoms of the disease resulting from inoculation with the tested strain of bacteria may vary, depending on the inoculation method used and the incubation conditions of the inoculated plants. The conducted research determined the impact of various methods of inoculating corn plants with selected strains of pathogenic bacteria isolated from diseased corn plants on the occurrence and development of disease symptoms. These strains belonged to the species Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, Dickeya zeae, Pantoea ananatis, Pantoea agglomerans and Enterobacter cloaceae subsp. dissolvens. It was observed that the symptoms of the disease caused by the inoculation methods used dif­fer from the symptoms observed in natural conditions. Moreover, regardless of the species affiliation of the tested bacterial strains, the observed symptoms were similar within a given inoculation method. Also, regardless of the species affiliation of the tested strain, incuba­tion of inoculated plants in a culture chamber with optimal conditions for the development of the disease resulted in the acceleration of symptoms and disease development.

The intensification of agriculture, including excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, has reduced soil fertility and harmed biodiversity. Thus, interest in sustainable alternatives such as plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) is growing. These microbes aid plants via nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, phytohormone production, and pathogen suppression. Most PGPB come from soil and plant tissues, but insect-associated bacteria remain a largely unexplored reservoir. Insects harbor diverse microbial communities inhabiting their guts and cuticle surfaces. Due to their varied diets and broad ecological distribution, insects may serve as reservoirs for bacterial strains with unique functional traits. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding insect-derived PGPB, focusing on their ecological roles, functional capabilities, and potential applications in agriculture. Key aspects addressed include microbial diversity in insects, mechanisms of plant growth promotion, insect–microbe–plant interactions, and methodological approaches for the isolation and characterization of these bacteria. Several studies are highlighted to illustrate successful applications of insect-associated PGPB in improving plant health and disease resistance. Although this research area remains in its early stages, it holds considerable potential for the development of novel biopesticides and biofertilizers. By integrating microbiological, entomological, and agricultural perspectives, insect-derived PGPB may contribute to the advancement of more sustainable and resilient farming systems. This review aims to underscore the importance of expanding the search for effective PGPB to include insect microbiomes and to encourage further research in this promising field.

The storage of root vegetables is a critical aspect of agricultural production, significantly impacting both the quality and quantity of produce available for consumption. This study aimed to develop a bacterial consortium capable of preventing storage bacterial diseases in root vegetables. A total of 225 bacterial strains were isolated from various ecological niches, including crops, peri-root soils, coastal dune soils, sewage sludge, and symbiotic bacteria of common insect pests. These strains were characterized for their ability to grow at storage temperatures (4 °C) and produce cellulase, lipase, protease, and chitinase enzymes. From 225 isolates, 24 strains exhibited the highest enzymatic activities were selected for mutual inhibition assays, resulting in the selection of four strains (SP65, Dv004, Dv008, and Dv024a) that demonstrated high growth rates and enzymatic activities. The selected strains grew at 4 °C (OD₆₀₀ range: 0.061–0,190) and they exhibited the high intensity of production of the following enzymes measured as a halo diameter (cm) on bacterial medium: cellulase (from 1,4 to 1,8 cm), lipase (0,7) − 1,5), proteinase 1,2 − 1,6) and chitinase (0,3 − 0,4). These strains, identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SP65) and Serratia liquefaciens, were combined to form a bacterial consortium. The efficacy of this consortium was tested on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.), celeriac (Apium graveolens L.), parsley (Petroselinum crispum Mill.), and onion (Allium cepa L.). The mixed culture was tested against bacterial soft rot pathogens including Pectobacterium carotovorum, Kosakonia cowanii, Enterobacter cloacae subsp. dissolvens and Burkholderia cepacia. For celeriac and parsley, the effect of inhibition of Pectobacterium carotovorum, Burkholderia cepacia, E. cloaceae subsp. dissolvens, Kosakonia cowanii, and the mixture of those pathogens were observed when pathogens were applied at concentration of 1,3 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹. In case of onion the same effect of inhibition of growth of pathogens were observed only for P. carotovorum, and for B. cepacia at concentration of 1,3 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹. The results demonstrated the potential of using a bacterial consortium as a biological control method to enhance the storage life and quality of root vegetables.