Endophytes as bioenhancers of plant growth: An overview

Fitoterapia. 2024 Dec 22:181:106355. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2024.106355. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The need for food production rises with the era of expanding population. As a result, there is more indirect demand for chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Serious environmental concerns result from the continuous and careless usage of chemicals. Additionally, they could make the land infertile. One of the finest substitutes for chemicals is to use microorganisms, particularly endophytes. Endophytes uses both direct and indirect mechanisms to encourage plant growth by increased mineral availability, resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, synthesis of significant phytohormones. This review is focused on exploring the plant growth promoting effect of endophytes and its potential implications in the crop production.

Keywords: Endophytes; Plant growth promotion; Stress tolerance; Sustainable agriculture.