Onion (Allium cepa L.) stands as a vital commercial vegetable globally, ingrained in the culinary practices of homemakers worldwide. Beyond its culinary significance, the organosulfur compounds found in onions provide a solution for managing plant diseases. Onions face escalating disease challenges despite various antimicrobial properties due to climate fluctuations and pathogen evolution. Biotic factors, including fungi, bacteria, viruses and insects, contribute to pre-harvest and postharvest losses, accounting for nearly 50% yield reduction in fields and 10-30% loss in storage conditions. The importance of integrated disease management practices, such as early detection using e-nose, conventional methods, biological control and novel biotechnological tools, including CRISPR/Cas, were explained. Therefore, implementing effective control measures at the field level is crucial to mitigating these losses. This review emphasizes the need for continued research to provide more practical and long-lasting solutions for controlling onion phytopathogens.
