Endophytes Crop Productivity and Protection Volume 2 (Sustainable Development and Biodiversity)

Chapter 7

Role of Bacterial Endophytes in Plant

Disease Control

A. Muthukumar, R. Udhayakumar and R. Naveenkumar

Abstract Most of the plant diseases are generated by microorganisms dominated

by fungi followed by bacteria and virus. Presently, the major method for controlling

plant diseases is the application of agrochemicals. Nevertheless, this method causes

toxic effect to the human beings and animals. An alternative for chemicals is the

application of biology which includes application of bacterial endophytes in bio-

control of wide array of plant pathogens. Endophytic bacteria belongs to the class of

endosymbiotic microorganisms, ubiquitous among plants that establish in between

and within the spaces of all plant parts and not causing any plant disease. They

create array of relationship include mutalism, cannibalistic, commensalistic and

trophobiotic in nature. Most endophytes derive from soil around the plant roots or

surface of the cuticle covering the leaf epidermis; although some may be obtained

from the seed. Endophytic bacteria may play a major role in developing plant

growth enhancement, phytoremediation, phosphate solubilization, nitrogenfixation,

modulation of plant metabolism and phytohormone signalling that lead to adapta-
tion of environmental biotic/abiotic stress. There is an increased interest in the use

of endophytes for their agricultural applications that promote plant growth under

cold, drought or contaminated soil structure conditions or induce disease resistance

in plants.

Keywords Endophytic bacteria
Occurrence
Colonization

Mode of action
Plant growth promotion

A. Muthukumar (&)
R. Udhayakumar
R. Naveenkumar
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University,
Chidambaram 608002, Tamil Nadu, India
e-mail: [email protected]

R. Udhayakumar
e-mail: [email protected]

R. Naveenkumar
e-mail: [email protected]

©Springer International Publishing AG 2017
D.K. Maheshwari and K. Annapurna (eds.),Endophytes: Crop Productivity
and Protection, Sustainable Development and Biodiversity 16,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-66544-3_7

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