Medicinal Mushrooms with Anti-Phytopathogenic and Insecticidal Properties

Medicinal mushrooms represent a valuable natural source of biologically active compounds with fungicidal, herbicidal, and insecticidal properties. Many synthetic fungicides, herbicides, nematicides, or insecticides are very unspecific and possess a high general toxicity so that they have been or will soon be banned by various governments. Alternative efficient methods to control plant pathogen interactions are rare. Therefore, the search for new plant pathogen control agents is of great economic interest. This article gives an overview of the literature on the biological activity of medicinal mushrooms with potential biopesticidal properties against plant pathogens, acting as producers of antiphytoviral, antibacterial, insecticidal, nematicidal, fungicidal, or herbicidal compounds. The possibility of using the preparations based on the mushrooms metabolites for plant protection as well as for biocontrol and prophylaxis of plant diseases and pests is discussed.