Fungal Genomics & Biology
Open Access

Abstract

Prospect of Endophytic Fungal Entomopathogens for Pest Management

Xin Zhao, Shuaishuai Huang, Zhibing Luo and Yongjun Zhang*

Endophytic fungal entomopathogens could offer a number of benefits to their host plants, which include protection against the primary pests, resistance against microbial pathogens, stimulation of growth, or increase of heavy metal or drought tolerance. However, all reports, so far, indicate that colonization of some plants by entomopathogenic fungi seemly confer only certain benefits to their hosts or else only one parameter was examined. Our study underscores the practicability of introduction of specific insect fungal pathogen strains into host plants as endophytes that could simultaneously promote host plant growth and offer plant protection against microbial pathogens, and/or insect pests, which highlights the prospect of endophytic fungal entomopathogens for pest management. Here, we further commented on the study-involved issues and the factors that possibly affect colonization by fungal entomopathogens and the benefits to the host plant offered by the endophytes. Moreover, we put forward the possible link of some plant morphological changes and/or stimulation of some plant defense pathways with the resistance of the host plants against insect/ microbial pathogens, although the underlying mechanism remains somewhat of a mystery that should be uncovered in the future.

Published Date: 2021-08-30; Received Date: 2021-08-09