The Interaction between Entomopathogenic Fungi and Plants for Insect Pest Control

Dear Colleagues,

Entomopathogenic fungi find their hosts mostly among insects. However, these fungi are also facultative saprophytes in the soil and/or the rhizosphere. As endophytes, some invertebrate-pathogenic fungi engage in mutualistic interactions with plants, boosting their resistance to herbivores and pathogens. The exact mechanisms by which these fungi provide systemic protection against arthropod pests and plant diseases are not fully understood, although some hypothesize that their pest and disease suppression is due to the production of toxic and secondary metabolites by the fungi. Nevertheless, endophytic fungal colonization could be an indirect method for the biological control of insect pests.

This Special Issue will focus on the interactions between invertebrate-pathogenic fungi and plants, aiming to elucidate the mechanisms involved in such interactions to optimize the use of endophytic fungi in insect pest control.

Dr. Nicolás Pedrini
Guest Editor

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• entomopathogenic fungi
• fungi–host interactions
• endophytic fungi
• secondary metabolites