Fungal Endophytes: A Source for Biological Control Agents

Abstract

Endophytic fungi are efficient biocontrol agents and offer protection to the agricultural cash crops from pest or pathogenic fungi related damage. Fungal endophyte produces a plethora of bioactive secondary metabolites with antifungal, anti-larval, insecticidal, nematicidal property and opens up new scope of myco-fumigation through volatile organic compounds to control storage pathogens, reduce post-harvest infections and increase shelf-life or facilitate safe transportation of fruits and vegetables. It is a secure way of disease control approach and a new addition to the integrated pest management system ensuring sustainable development. This chapter summarizes the bioprospecting of several potent endophytes Muscodor albus, M. vitigenus, M. roseus, M. fengyangensis, Phyllosticta capitalensis, P. paracapitalensis, Trichoderma sp., Talaromyces flavus, Acremonium sp., Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Hypoxylon investiens, Curvularia sp., Phoma sp., Penicillium sp., Nigrospora sphaerica as bio-control agents against Meloidogyne incognita, Radopholus similis, Spodoptera littoralis, Planococcus ficus, Phthorimaea operculella, etc. reducing tan spot, vascular streak, rice blast and Fusarium head blight disease, GER (Gibberella ear rot), codling and European pepper moth populations, root rot of pepper, Verticillium wilt and Ginseng pathogens, etc.