Advances in Fungus-Based Bioherbicides for Sustainable and Circular Agricultural Systems

Abstract

This review highlights the potential of fungal bioherbicides (mycoherbicide) as sustainable agents for biological weed management in organic and conventional agriculture. Fungi and their bioactive metabolites offer target-specific, environmentally compatible alternatives to synthetic herbicides, particularly in the context of escalating herbicide resistance and regulatory restrictions. This review examines key advances across five domains: taxonomic diversity and mechanisms of fungal bioherbicide agents, formulation science and delivery systems, bioprocess engineering for scaleup production, field application strategies, and circular economy integration. Current bottlenecks in formulation stability, fermentation scalability, and regulatory pathways are critically assessed, and emerging technologies including nanoformulations, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture are evaluated as accelerators for next-generation mycoherbicide development. The growing global biopesticide market and sustainability imperatives further underscore the strategic importance of fungal bioherbicides within circular bioeconomy frameworks.