Emerging Trends in Plant Protection in Nigeria

Emerging trend in plant protection stems from the strengthening of the old control methods to microbial control of pathogens. This is based on the beneficial interactions of microbes on plant’s health, the mechanisms which include: pathogen suppression by microbial agents that could be through competition with the pathogen itself; antagonism in form of antibiosis, parasitism and then, predation. It could also be through probiotic action, which is plant growth production, elicitation of defense responses and induction of systemic acquired resistance or suppression of toxin production by the pathogen. The numerous examples of plant secondary metabolites (phytoalexins and phytoanticipins) reviewed here demonstrate that they constitute an important mechanism to stop the spread of phytopathogens in plants, both by acting as antimicrobials themselves or as elicitors of other defense responses. More interestingly, phytoalexins and phytoanticipins have been found active against pathogens and their use as ‘antibiotic potentiators’ or ‘virulence attenuators’ for the control of infectious diseases is promising. Hence, the progressing threat of pathogens leading to crop losses, food insecurity; attenuated poverty and the incessant need for crop protection, strengthen the importance of the research activities aimed at the isolation and characterization of plant secondary metabolites and the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the natural defences of plants against microbial aggressors. Emerging trends can also be viewed from the impact of environmental conditions on plant’s resistance (whether constitutive or induced), integrated pest management strategies, biological control and cultural practices.