This reference work presents an authoritative review of endophytes and their applications to human welfare. Endophytes have become a class of interesting and curious microorganisms due to their intimate intra- and intercellular association with plants for competence, survival and reproduction. They can be bacteria or fungi, and they are usually non-pathogenic to their host. Endophytes have important applications in agriculture and industry, namely, they can help with plant growth, act as biocontrol agents and biosurfactant and secondary metabolite producers, and they are also rich sources of bioactive natural products. Novel and beneficial effects of endophytes are constantly emerging, and this book, divided into four sections, provides readers with the latest developments in this fast expanding field. In the first section, readers will discover the biology of the major groups of endophytes, followed by a summary of conventional and molecular tools for endophytes’ identification in Section II. The production of high-value metabolites by endophytes will be explored in the third section of this book, and in the final section, readers will find several case studies, examples and prospects for endophytes’ application in agriculture and industry. Written by leading international authors, this reference work will appeal to a wide readership, from students and researchers in the field of botany, biotechnology and agriculture to professionals interested in the production and applications of endophytic metabolites.

Discusses the role of endophytes in food security, forestry and health. It outlines their general biology, spanning theory to practice.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Fungal Endophytes in Plants" that was published in JoF

Plant Endophytes and Secondary Metabolites provides the latest insights into the essential roles of these beneficial elements in plant growth, development, stress tolerance and plant protection from soil-borne disease.The book provides a comprehensive guide, addressing the usefulness and utility of endophytes towards enhancing plant tolerance to abiotic or biotic stress. It identifies biomolecules with unique molecular architectures, novel enzymes of industrial importance and explores the ecology and community structure of endophytes associated with host plants and their potential. Plant Endophytes and Secondary Metabolites provides insights into the endophytic microbiomes that are associated with diverse environments and includes case studies and nano-techniques for exploring endophytic potential.The book addresses the needs of researchers and advanced level students in agriculture, plant sciences, and biochemistry, seeking to underestand plant and soil microbiome sustainable ecosystem services. - Covers all characteristic features of endophytes - Considers all aspects surrounding the role of endophytes for ameliorating biotic and abiotic stress - Explores potential usage of endophytes for industrial applications from variable resources - Presents the scope and importance of endophytic nanotechnology

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) such as terpenes and phenolic compounds are known to have numerous ecological roles, notably in defence against herbivores, pathogens and abiotic stresses and in interactions with competitors and mutualists. This book reviews recent developments in the field to provide a synthesis of the function, ecology and evolution of PSMs, revealing our increased awareness of their integrative role in connecting natural systems. It emphasises the multiple roles of secondary metabolites in mediating the interactions between organisms and their environment at a range of scales of ecological organisation, demonstrating how genes encoding for PSM biosynthetic enzymes can have effects from the cellular scale within individual plants all the way to global environmental processes. A range of recent methodological advances, including molecular, transgenic and metabolomic techniques, are illustrated and promising directions for future studies are identified, making this a valuable reference for researchers and graduate students in the field.

Biocontrol and Secondary Metabolites: Applications and Immunization for Plant Growth and Protection covers established and updated research on emerging trends in plant defense signaling in, and during, stress phases. Other topics cover growth at interface as a sustainable way of life and the context of human welfare and conservation of fungi as a group of organisms. Further, the book explores induced systemic resistance using biocontrol agents and/or secondary metabolites as a milestone for sustainable agricultural production, thus providing opportunities for the minimization or elimination of the use of fungicides. - Presents an overview on mechanisms by which plants protect themselves against herbivory and pathogenic microbes - Identifies the use of immunization as a popular and effective alternative to chemical pesticides - Explores how these fungi help crop plants in better uptake of soil nutrients, increase soil fertility, produce growth promoting substances, and secrete metabolites that act as bio-pesticides

Microbial Endophytes: Prospects for Sustainable Agriculture discusses the practical and theoretical aspects regarding the use of endophytic microorganisms in agriculture, providing insights on the biotechnological applications associated with long-term crop production. Chapters deal with the various aspects of endophytic microorganisms, including isolation, enumeration, characterization procedures, diversity analysis, and their role as biofertilizer, biocontrol agent and microbial inoculants. Framed to discuss the present and future potential of microbial endophytes in biotic and abiotic stress management, bioremediation, bioactive compounds production, and in nanotechnology, this book provides a single-volume resource that will be valuable to academics and researchers interested in microbiology, agricultural sciences and biotechnology. - Explores aspects of sustainable agriculture by using endophytic microorganism such as bacteria, fungi and actinobacteria - Presents insights into the use of endophytes as biofertilizer and biocontrol agents in sustainable agriculture - Relates endophyte organisms and nano-technology