Molecular Microbiology Research 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 99-108 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mmr 103 5 Functional Roles of Endophytes in Wild Wheat 5.1 Enhancing stress tolerance 5.1.1 Abiotic stress tolerance Endophytes play a crucial role in enhancing the abiotic stress tolerance of wild wheat. These microorganisms help plants cope with various environmental stresses such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures. For instance, endophytes from wild cereals have been shown to protect wheat plants from drought by altering their physiological responses to water stress. This includes reducing stress damage markers and the accumulation of stress-adaptation metabolites, thereby improving plant performance under water-limited conditions. Similarly, the endophytic isolate Priestia aryabhattai BPR-9 has demonstrated significant tolerance to salinity, drought, and heavy metals, enhancing wheat growth and stress resilience through various biochemical mechanisms (Shahid et al., 2022). Additionally, endophytic fungi isolated from wheat have shown high tolerance to heavy metals, salinity, and drought, indicating their potential as biofertilizers or bioagents for sustainable crop production (Ripa et al., 2019). 5.1.2 Biotic stress resistance Endophytes also contribute to biotic stress resistance in wild wheat by providing protection against various pathogens. For example, endophytic bacteria from halophytes have shown antagonistic activity against economically important phytopathogens such as Verticillium dahliae and Ralstonia solanacearum, thereby enhancing the host plant's resistance to these pathogens (Christakis et al., 2021). Furthermore, endophytic fungi and bacteria have been reported to enhance disease resistance in host plants, reducing the need for synthetic pesticides and contributing to sustainable agricultural practices (Watts et al., 2023). The ability of endophytes to modulate the host plant's immune system and produce antimicrobial compounds plays a significant role in their biotic stress resistance capabilities (Verma et al., 2021). 5.2 Promoting growth and yield Endophytes are known to promote plant growth and yield by enhancing nutrient uptake, producing growth-promoting hormones, and improving overall plant health. For instance, endophytic bacteria have been shown to increase the germination rate, plant length, and vigor indices of wheat seedlings under high salinity conditions, demonstrating their potential as growth promoters (Figure 2) (Shahid et al., 2022). Additionally, endophytic fungi isolated from wheat have exhibited plant growth-promoting traits such as phosphate solubilization, indole acetic acid production, and siderophore production, which contribute to improved plant growth and yield. The use of endophytes as bio-inoculants has been suggested as a sustainable approach to enhance crop productivity, especially in marginal lands with sub-optimal growing conditions (Watts et al., 2023). 6 Potential Agricultural Applications 6.1 Endophyte-inoculated biofertilizers Endophytes have shown significant potential as biofertilizers due to their ability to enhance plant growth and nutrient uptake. For instance, endophytic bacteria isolated from various wheat genotypes have demonstrated multifarious plant growth-promoting attributes, including nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (Rana et al., 2020). These beneficial traits can be harnessed to develop biofertilizers that improve crop yield and reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers. Additionally, endophytes like Acinetobacter guillouiae have been shown to significantly promote plant growth under greenhouse conditions, indicating their potential for practical agricultural applications. 6.2 Development of endophyte-enhanced crops 6.2.1 Breeding strategies The integration of endophytes into breeding programs can lead to the development of crops with enhanced stress tolerance and growth performance. Research has shown that endophytes from wild wheat relatives, such as Aegilops sharonensis, can improve the sustainability and performance of bread wheat under water-limited
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==