Table 2.
Examples of control or inhibition of plant pathogens or pests by endophytic plant microbes.
Disease or pathogen | Symbiont | Plant | Response of plants to endophytes | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Numerous soil pathogens, including Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Sclerotinia, Macrophomina, and Cylindrocladium | Various rhizobia | Legumes, including soybean, chickpea, pea, lentil, lupine, and fava bean | Control of many pathogens | [84] |
Phytophthora cinnamon | Bradyrhizobium japonicum | Soybean | The bacteria also colonized the pathogen | [85] |
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (white rot) | Mesorhizobium loti | Indian mustard | Nearly complete control of white rot | [86] |
Powdery mildew | AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) | Barley | Induced resistance gave a high degree of control | [87] |
Tomato leaf curl virus | AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) | Tomato | Systemic resistance reduced disease severity | [88] |
Phytophthora late blight | AMF (Rhizophagus irregularis) | Potato | Symptoms reduced, but not under conditions of high disease pressure | [78] |
Spiroplasma citri | AMF (Glomus mosseae) | Madagascar periwinkle | Control occurred, but another pathogen was not controlled | [79] |
Various nematodes | AMF | Various plants in summary | Wide variety of plants are protected against these round worms | [80] |
Numerous root rot pathogens including Verticillium, Fusarium foot rot, Rhizoctonia, and Thielavopsis | P. indica | Various plants and pathogens in summary | Wide variety of plants protected against these fungal pathogens | [31] |
Fungal diseases of leaves, including Alternaria brassicae, Botrytis cinerea, and powdery mildew | P. indica | Chickpea, barley, and others | Disease control of above-ground parts even though symbiont only in roots; antioxidant systems are important | [51, 89] |
Fusarium head blight | P. indica | Wheat | Grain disease occurred even though symbiont was only in roots; also reduced Fusarium mycotoxin production | [90] |
Various root and foliar pathogens | Trichoderma spp | Various plants | Numerous examples of control of pathogens in roots and above-ground plant organs | [7] |
Various root nematodes | Trichoderma spp | Tomato | Control occurred with systemic control demonstrated using split-root plants | [56] |