Interactions of Opportunistic Fungi, Plants, and Plant Parasitic Nematodes

Many crops used in agriculture around the world are seriously threatened by plant parasitic nematodes. The creation of innovative nematode control techniques is required due to the overuse of chemical nematodes. Fibrous fungi may be a good biocontrol alternative in this case. Different fungi such as Trichoderma spp., Pochonia spp., Paecilomyces spp., mycorrhizal fungi, and nematode-trapping fungi Arthrobotrys spp., used as biological controls against nematodes as resistance-inducing agents and also promote the growth of the plant directly or indirectly. A variety of factors contribute to fungi’s ability to reduce plant parasitic nematodes via biocontrol. Such routes include increased tolerance of the plant, direct competition for resources and space, induced systemic resistance (ISR), and changed rhizosphere interactions. Various solutions, as well as a full investigation of their efficacy in the biocontrol of plant parasitic nematodes in particular, have been offered. Although mycorrhizal fungi are not yet widely used in traditional agriculture, recent research studies are advancing our understanding towards its functioning. Therefore, these fungi could be employed in the field to combat against the plant parasitic nematodes. Thus, this chapter focuses on different opportunistic fungi, nematode interactions on host plants and their mechanisms of actions.