Endophytic Microorganisms Associated with the Biological Control of Insect Pests in Agriculture

Authors: Golias HC*

DOI: 10.23880/izab-16000298

Volume 4, Issue 2

Abstract

Endophytes are microorganisms that form symbiotic relationships with their host and provide benefits to the host plant, such as protection against pests, resistance to unfavorable abiotic conditions, and improvement in growth. When insects cause excessive economic, social, and environmental damage, they are considered insect pests, and they need to be controlled. Often, they are controlled by chemical products, but their use is questionable due to potential risks to human health and the environment. Biological control using endophytic microorganisms is a more sustainable alternative; endophytic microorganisms are transferred between plants to stimulate the production of toxic metabolites against insects. This review summarizes the different genera and species of endophytic microorganisms, which show biocontrol capacity against insect pests, isolated from various plant species, as well as the secondary metabolites, which are characterized as having entomopathogenic activity against these insect pests, isolated from the endophytic microorganisms. The use of endophytic microorganisms that exhibit entomopathogenic action for the biological control of crops with high economic and environmental value is an effective and sustainable option for the control of insect pests.

Keywords: Endophytes; Insects; Biotechnology; Entomopathogenic

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