Table 1.

Colonization frequency of endophytic entomopathogenic fungi in Citrus limon plants segments (leaf, stem and root) at different weeks post inoculation (wpi) following foliar treatment of seedlings with 1 × 10⁸ conidia mL⁻¹ of each of the treated Beauveria bassiana isolates (BB Fafu-13 and BB Fafu-16).

Treatments		Colonization Frequency in Different Plant Segments
			Leaf				Stem				Root
			UL		LL		US		LS
	n **	+	%	+	%	+	%	+	%	+	%
4 wpi
BB Fafu-13	4	2	50	3	75	1	25	2	50	0	0
BB Fafu-16	4	2	50	3	75	1	25	1	25	0	0
8 wpi
BB Fafu-13	4	1	25	3	75	0	0	2	50	0	0
BB Fafu-16	4	1	25	2	50	0	0	1	25	0	0
12 wpi
BB Fafu-13	4	1	25	2	50	0	0	2	50	3	75
BB Fafu-16	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	24	7	29.2	13	54.2	2	8.3	8	33.3	3	12.5

IF Fafu-1 treated seedlings were not represented as no endophytic fungi re-isolation was recorded. n ** There were four replicates for each fungal isolate at different assessment dates. Four different plants were examined for endophytic colonization, and within each plant, upper leaves (UL), lower leaves (LL), upper stems (UP) lower stems (LS), and roots were separately assessed. Six surface-sterilized leaf discs, stem, and root cuttings were obtained per plant segments (total of 30 sections per plant). Provided fungal endophyte was recovered from one of the six discs or cuttings obtained from a single plant, the plant was assumed to have been endophytically colonized. + Number of plants from which endophytic fungi was re-isolated out of the 4 plants examined (at least 1 of the 6 discs or cuttings showed fungal outgrowth). %—colonization frequency percentage (number of plants from which endophytic fungi was re-isolated ÷ total number of plants assessed × 100). UL—upper leaves and US—upper stems are unmarked plant parts that emerged post inoculation. LL—lower leaves and LS—lower stems are marked plant parts that were directly sprayed with fungal conidia suspension at inoculation date.