The Use of Symbiotic Fungal Associations with Crops in Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

Agriculture in the 21st century faces the daunting task of satisfying the unceasingly increasing demand for food in a context of continuous depletion of natural resources and the need to respect international environmental standards. Among the alternatives to conventional agriculture developed in this context, symbiotic fungal association with crops shows considerable promise because of its effectiveness, habit-specific mode of action, and ability to provide multiple benefits. Known as endophytism, this association represents a new area of research based on the benefits of mutualistic interactions between host crops and nonpathogenic fungi. The advantages conferred by endophytic fungi include their ability to promote plant growth and tolerance of both abiotic stresses (e.g., salt, drought, heat) and biotic stresses (e.g., insects, plant diseases). As such, the practical applications of endophytes as potential sources of bioorganic nutrients and as biocontrol agents can significantly improve yields in an environmentally sound way. Moreover, the ability of fungal endophytes to improve plant tolerance of salt, drought, and heat stress make it possible to grow crops on previously uncultivable land. Thus, fungal endophytes should be included among alternative modern technologies to support food production.