Preface

Nowadays, cultivators are increasingly arranging innovative, highly technical and scientific estimations >with the aim of enhancing agricultural sustainability, effectiveness, and/or plant health. Innovative farming technologies incorporate biology with smart technology: Computers and devices exchange with one another autonomously in a structured farm management system. Throughout this structure, smart agriculture can be accomplished; cultivators decrease plantation inputs (pesticides and fertilizers) and increase yields via integrated pest management and/or biological control.

Moreover, the intensive use >of pesticides creates imbalances in the microbial community, which may be unfavorable for the activity of the beneficial organisms and may also lead to the development of resistant pathogen strains, increasing environmental degradation. Owing to the limitations of chemical control measures, it seems appropriate to seek a more suitable control method. Biological control appears as the most promising strategy, being environmentally safe and cost-effective for controlling several phytopathogens. Therefore, the development of novel agents can be useful in the control of plant diseases. Recently, there has been a growing interest in >researching the possible use of functional biomolecules that possess a selective action against these fungi without being toxic to the ecosystem for pest and disease control in agriculture. Natural biomolecules are increasingly becoming an effective and environmentally friendly tool for the control of phytopathogenic agents.

This book resumes present innovative techniques and methodologies to complement usual plant control and breeding attempts toward enhancing crop yield and production and consequently maintaining food security.