Endophytic Fungi as a Promising Biocontrol Agent to Protect Wheat from Fusarium graminearum Head Blight

Abstract

The search for beneficial endophytes that can be part of a constructed microbial community has increased in recent years. We characterized three endophytic fungi previously isolated from wheat for their in vitro and in planta antagonism toward the Fusarium head blight pathogen, Fusarium graminearum. The endophytes were phylogenetically characterized and shown to be Alternaria destruens, Fusarium commune, and Fusarium oxysporum. Individual fungal endophytes significantly increased seed weight and lowered the accumulation of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol compared to F. graminearum infected wheat heads without endophyte pretreatment. Investigation into the mechanism of competition in vitro showed that endophytes competitively excluded F. graminearum by pre-emptive colonization and possible inhibition over a distance. Investigations on the use of these endophytes in the field are in progress. Identification of these three endophytes highlights a common quandary in searching for beneficial microbes to use in agriculture: species definitions often do not separate individual isolates’ lifestyles. A greater understanding of the risks in using intraspecies variants for biocontrol is needed and should be examined in the context of the ecology of the individuals being investigated.

Efficacy of Lamium album as a natural fungicide: impact on seed germination, ergosterol, and mycotoxins in Fusarium culmorum-infected wheat seedlings

“…Here, the effect of L. album extract was evident, as shown by the ERG reduction in infected seedlings. Low ERG levels in non-infected seedlings could be attributed to endophytic fungi-microorganisms living within plant tissues without visible disease symptoms (Abaya et al, 2021;Noel et al, 2022). PCR-based identification confirmed F. oxysporum in the root of infected samples treated with L. album flower extracts.…”

A synergistic culture dependent and independent approach reveals a conserved wheat seed mycobiome

“…Taken together, culture dependent and independent approaches can expand our knowledge and understanding of the wheat seed mycobiome. The culture library generated in this study provides us with an opportunity to conduct future research to improve taxonomic and genomic resolution of fungal isolates and examine the functional role that they play in determining adult plant outcomes (Noel et al ., 2022).…”

Looking for Fusarium Resistance in Oats: An Update

“…Microorganisms are able to biotransform or biodegrade mycotoxins, thus increasing yield [125]. Noel et al [126] found that endophytic fungi Alternaria destruens, F. commune, and F. oxysporum increased wheat seed weight and reduced F. graminearum DON accumulation in wheat.…”