Fungi living inside plants can protect crops from insect pests naturally
Dai Y, Xu J, Chen J, Jian Y, Qin L
Biological Control
Fungi quietly colonizing the stems and leaves of your garden plants may already be helping fend off aphids and caterpillars, and understanding them opens a path to pest control that doesn't involve spraying chemicals on your vegetables.
Some fungi live inside healthy plants without making them sick, and it turns out many of these fungi produce compounds that insects find toxic or repellent. They also nudge the plant itself to ramp up its own chemical defenses. Scientists reviewing the research say these fungi could become a cornerstone of farming that relies less on synthetic pesticides.
Key Findings
Endophytic fungi span multiple major phyla and are found across a wide range of host plant species, indicating broad agricultural applicability.
These fungi produce insecticidal metabolites that directly harm pests, reduce their ability to adapt to their environment, and make them more vulnerable to natural predators.
Fungal metabolites also trigger induced plant immunity, prompting the host plant to synthesize its own defensive chemicals without direct fungal-insect contact.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Fungi living inside plants without causing disease can act as natural pest controllers, either by producing toxic compounds that repel or harm insects directly, or by triggering the plant's own immune defenses. Researchers argue these endophytic fungi could replace or reduce reliance on chemical insecticides in farming.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Plant Fungal Endophytes as Sustainable Components of Insect Pest Management.
Agricultural systems are designed to meet the increasing global demand for food. However, pests pose a significant threat to agricultural productivity, potentially hindering the ability to meet the...
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