ABSTRACT
One of the major causes of agricultural crop loss is disease-causing bacteria, which pose a heavy burden to global food supplies. Traditional chemical and antibiotic treatments are common regimens used to curb plant diseases. However, their rampant and uncontrolled use resulted in the evolution and eventual spread of pathogen-resistant strains putting the global food supply at risk of a major collapse. Biological agents such as bacteriophages (or phages) and their enzymes that target and kill these bacteria are now being considered as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plant disease control strategies. Here, we present 42several approaches by which phages are tailored and harnessed as effective biocontrol agents. Natural lytic phages, in single or cocktail preparations, and phage-derived enzymes can be utilized as targeted bacterial killers. Several genetic engineering strategies can be employed to increase host range, lytic activities, and stability of phages. Moreover, temperate phages can be modified to deliver lethal genes, cargoes, and sequences that can make bacteria more susceptible to conventional antimicrobial treatments. Lastly, we present current research exploring the applications of phages in controlling bacterial infections affecting selected crops.
