Evaluating innovative strategies for managing strawberry fruit rot diseases: insight from current research

Strawberry plants are important horticultural fruit crops cultivated worldwide. This crop forms the foundation of a multi-billion dollar food industry and serves as a major employer of the global population. Fruit rot disease, caused by fungal pathogens, results in significant pre and postharvest losses in strawberries, presenting a considerable challenge to the industry's overall health. Moreover, infected fruits are unappealing to both commercial buyers and domestic consumers, leading to substantial losses for growers. In view of the effective management of these pathogens, extensive research has been conducted due to their wide host range and the enormous economic losses they cause. Exploring the biology of pathogens is advantageous for obtaining a better understanding of the fundamental basis for mitigation strategies. Pathogens are managed in fruit commodities by using physical, chemical, and biological approaches. To minimize the harmful effects of chemical pesticides on the environment, ongoing efforts are underway to explore alternative methods for controlling plant diseases using eco-friendly biocontrol agents or natural products with pathogen-controlling properties. In recent years, tremendous progress has been made in understanding the role of omics approaches, including genomics and transcriptomics, in controlling strawberry fruit rot. This study delves into the fundamentals of this problem, the basic biology of the pathogen, traditional and contemporary approaches to disease control, and potential future perspectives.