Endophytic Fungi: Application in Combating Plant Pathogens and Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

Globally, there is an escalating demand for improved crop production and the development of sustainable agriculture. With the ill effects caused by chemical pesticides and fertilizers on the environment and nontarget life-forms, there is an urgent need to explore alternative green strategies replacing chemical control methods. Biological control uses microorganisms from nature for pest control and improves agricultural produce. Endophytic fungi represent an exclusive group of microorganisms inhabiting the tissues of healthy plants. These fungi involve in a beneficial plant-microbe interaction, significantly contributing to the host’s survival. The most striking attribute of these fungal endophytes is their ability to produce many diverse bioactive metabolites that find application in food, industries, pharmaceutical, agriculture, etc. These fungi exhibit extraordinary diversity and interactions with the plant hosts. Fungal endophytes promote plant growth and enhance plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The array of phytohormones and antimicrobial metabolites they produce finds application in controlling plant pathogens, including insects and nematodes. They also facilitate plant survival in nutrient-poor soils and detoxify soil contaminants. These enormous benefits make fungal endophytes potential sources for exploration as safe and economical biocontrol agents. Bioprospecting the diverse metabolic pathways functional in these fungi can be unraveled to develop novel agrochemicals in pathogen control and sustainable agriculture.