Biological control of postharvest diseases on fruit: a suitable alternative?

The use of microorganisms to control pest and diseases at field conditions is now a reality. Several products are already in the market and their use is increasing every year. However, the situation in the control of postharvest diseases of fruits and vegetables is very different. The research in this area started later and despite the progress made especially in the last 20 years their commercial application is still very limited. In the present overview we discuss about this situation, expose the state of the art, the main concerns and difficulties to increase their commercial use in postharvest. We postulate than is necessary to show consistent efficacy under commercial conditions but this fact is not enough, because some BCAs with reliable performance are not in the market for a complex combination of legal and economic aspects. In the future, it will be necessary to improve the bridge between researchers and private companies.