Fungal Endophytes as Biocontrol Agents of Plant Pathogens: Recent Developments and Prospects

Biotic stresses caused by plant pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and fungi have been a significant problem globally. Many chemically derived products have been used for decades to mitigate these problems. While these agrochemicals have been proven to be effective, the indiscriminate use of these toxic chemicals has adversely affected the environment leading to health risks in humans and animals and also results in the emergence of pathogens with chemical resistance. This calls for an urgent need to develop more ecofriendly products from natural sources. Fungal endophytes with the potential to colonize internal tissues of plants without causing diseases are the most suitable alternative to mitigate plant pathogens since they are known to inhabit a wide variety of bioactive compounds that have been proven to possess advantageous features like antibacterial, nematocidal, antifungal, and herbicidal properties. This chapter highlights the different types of fungal endophytes that can be used as biocontrol agents against phytopathogens, the methods of their isolation, and their bioactive compounds with their prospects to be formulated as sustainable natural biocontrol agents.