Physiological Effects of Microbial Biocontrol Agents in the Maize Phyllosphere

GROSSI FIAMMA; SARTORI, M.; GIORDANINO FRANCISCO; BARROS GERMÁN; NESCI, A.; GARCÍA, D.

Plants

Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)

Año: 2023 vol. 12

In a world with constant population growth, and in the context of climate change, theneed to supply the demand of safe crops has stimulated an interest in ecological products that canincrease agricultural productivity. This implies the use of beneficial organisms and natural productsto improve crop performance and control pests and diseases, replacing chemical compounds that canaffect the environment and human health. Microbial biological control agents (MBCAs) interact withpathogens directly or by inducing a physiological state of resistance in the plant. This involves severalmechanisms, like interference with phytohormone pathways and priming defensive compounds.In Argentina, one of the world’s main maize exporters, yield is restricted by several limitations,including foliar diseases such as common rust and northern corn leaf blight (NCLB). Here, we discussthe impact of pathogen infection on important food crops and MBCA interactions with the plant’simmune system, and its biochemical indicators such as phytohormones, reactive oxygen species,phenolic compounds and lytic enzymes, focused mainly on the maize–NCLB pathosystem. MBCAcould be integrated into disease management as a mechanism to improve the plant’s inducibledefences against foliar diseases. However, there is still much to elucidate regarding plant responseswhen exposed to hemibiotrophic pathogens.