Endophytic entomopathogenic fungi-mediated plant growth promotion and biocontrol potential: opportunities and future prospects
Description
The increasing global demand for maintaining sustainable agriculture has focused on the critical role played by endo phytic entomopathogenic fungi as dual-purpose microbial agents facilitating plant growth promotion and pest manage ment. Endophytic entomopathogenic fungi as natural endosymbionts, provide multifaceted benefits, such as improving plant growth and nutrient uptake, enhancing tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and protecting the crops against devastating insect pests, pathogens, nematodes, and weeds. Addressing the potential of endophytic entomopathogenic fungi in agriculture has eventually reduced the dependence on toxic agrochemicals, thereby assists to adopt key alarms of environmental safety and agricultural sustainability. Direct application of this category of fungi involves seed treatment, soil inoculation, and foliar sprays, resulting enhancement in plant endosphere colonization, assisting in optimum plant protection and growth promotion. Indirect applications include the potential use of bioformulations, thereby reducing the reliance on toxic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Customized strategies for integrating entomopathogenic fungi into sustainable pest and disease management frameworks must be generated to boost their use efficiency under field evalua tions. These strategies must ensure that the fungi are compatible with other biocontrol agents and recommended dosages of agrochemicals. The integration of advanced technologies, including the genetic engineering, myconanoformulations, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things, alongside Fuzzy logics, has recently revolutionized the strategic advance ments in entomopathogenic research for sustainable plant growth promotion and crop protection, leading to the develop ment of climate-smart agriculture.
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- DBT, Govt. of IndiaGrant ID: BT/NER/143/SP44344/2021