Roles of Plant Endosphere Microbes in Agriculture-A Review

Despite the importance of diverse plant growth-promoting endophytes in agricultural production, their biotechnological and agricultural applications are not well-documented. The diversity of microbial communities interacting with the endosphere contributes to plant functions and immunity, leading to higher productivity. Plant-microbe interactions range from beneficial in terms of influencing plant growth to harmful, as they also cause plant diseases. Microbial survival in the internal tissues of plants depends on their colonization tendencies and their ability to compete with the indigenous plant microflora. The infiltration of microbes through the external soil-root environment into the plant endosphere significantly enhances growth-promoting attributes of plants such as antibiosis, siderophore production, induced systemic resistance, bioremediation and growth hormones synthesis. However, the growth and diversity of endophytic microbes are influenced by the availability of soil nutrients, presence of pathogens, plant growth stages, plant genome, and other abiotic factors. Knowledge and understanding of the possible use and biotechnological relevance of endosphere communities in sustainable agriculture cannot be overemphasized. Hence, this review discusses the importance of endophytic microbes in agriculture for enhancing crop productivity.