Abstract
The incorporation of entomopathogenic fungi as biocontrol agents into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs without doubt, has been highly effective. The ability of these fungal pathogens such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae to exist as endophytes in plants and protect their colonized host plants against the primary herbivore pests has widely been reported. Aside this sole role of pest management that has been traditionally ascribed to fungal endophytes, recent findings provided evidence of other possible functions as plant yield promoter, soil nutrient distributor, abiotic stress and drought tolerance enhancer in plants. However, reports on these additional important effects of fungal endophytes on the colonized plants remain scanty. In this review, we discussed the various beneficial effects of endophytic fungi on the host plants and their primary herbivore pests; as well as some negative effects that are relatively unknown. We also highlighted the prospects of our findings in further increasing the acceptance of fungal endophytes as an integral part of pest management programs for optimized crop production.
Highlights
Endophytes are ubiquitous, forming associations with a diverse group of organisms throughout the plant kingdom and provide indirect defense for plants against herbivores (Hartley and Gange, 2009)
The potential of entomopathogenic fungal endophytes exerting detrimental effects on the insect pests feeding on the plants colonized by these endophytic pathogens has been widely reported in several recent studies (Quesada-Moraga et al, 2009; Gurulingappa et al, 2011; Gange et al, 2012; Gathage et al, 2016; Resquín-Romero et al, 2016; Sánchez-Rodríguez et al, 2018)
Reduction in plant damage caused by many insect pests has been reported in several crop plants following treatment with endophytic entomopathogenic fungi
Summary
Endophytes are ubiquitous, forming associations with a diverse group of organisms throughout the plant kingdom and provide indirect defense for plants against herbivores (Hartley and Gange, 2009). The potential of entomopathogenic fungal endophytes exerting detrimental effects on the insect pests feeding on the plants colonized by these endophytic pathogens has been widely reported in several recent studies (Quesada-Moraga et al, 2009; Gurulingappa et al, 2011; Gange et al, 2012; Gathage et al, 2016; Resquín-Romero et al, 2016; Sánchez-Rodríguez et al, 2018). Reduction in plant damage caused by many insect pests has been reported in several crop plants following treatment with endophytic entomopathogenic fungi. Some of the previous studies reported negative effect of fungal endophytes on the natural enemies parasitizing insects feeding on fungi-colonized plants (Bultman et al, 1997; Omacini et al, 2001; Faeth and Bultman, 2002; Kunkel and Grewal, 2003; Kunkel et al, 2004). They produce metabolites, antibiotics, bioactive volatile compounds (such as ammonia, lipids, alkyl pyrones, hydrogen cyanide, alcohols, ketones and esters)
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