**5. Future perspectives**

Findings from many important and relevant studies indicated that natural products and plant probiotic bacteria especially the ones isolated from the native environment could be used as natural agents for sustainable production of high quality strawberry with no or little additional use of expensive synthetic inputs. However, researchers found that the effects are more pronounced in nutrient poor growing conditions. The additive effect of utilization of these products in growing environment with balanced nutrition has not been sufficiently researched. In addition, with the disappearance of soil fumigant methyl bromide that played an essential role in managing soil-borne diseases in high value crop like strawberry, more research should be directed to finding natural alternatives for sustainable management of both foliar and soil-borne diseases. Resistance development in plant pathogens against synthetic products is also a huge concern that dictates the need for developing sustainable options. Numerous natural products and microbial strains have been screened for antimicrobial properties with positive outcomes enabling plants to resist important phytopathogens and provide plant growth-promoting effects. However, only a few of these products are commercially available to growers. Large-scale use of these products did not occur due to the variability and inconsistency of results in field conditions. Lowering the variability and increasing the consistency of results from these products are among a few challenges that will have to be addressed. The scientific community must determine the factors that interfere with the reproducibility of results from one location to another or controlled condition to field condition over time. Integration of these products with other management options should help in reducing the variability of results and produce additive effects. The continuing need for natural products supporting sustainable strawberry production will make discovery and commercialization of natural and beneficial microbe-based products as an attractive and profitable pursuit in the coming days.
