Future perspectives of endophytic microbiome in sustainable agriculture

Endophytes are biotrophic microbes, colonizing the host plant in a mutually symbiotic relationship. Endophytes gain entry and colonize the plant cells by overturning the triggered plant defense mechanism. Endophytes synthesize a plethora of secondary metabolites (SMs), many of which are structurally and chemically similar to the host plant, which has been attributed to the de facto genetic interchange between the endophyte and the host. The advancement in biotechnological approaches has opened up new domains and has provided insights into the life cycle of endophytes and their potential use in sustainable agriculture. Formulations based on biological control agents have huge market potential. A top-down approach in the isolation and screening of biological agent provides a more suitable and efficient candidate microbe, which have survived multiple stresses in actual field conditions. Agricultural practices have a direct and very significant effect on microbiomes and endophytic diversity. Sustainable agriculture can be promoted using organic alternatives of fertilizers and pesticides which encourage the microbiome health and diversity. Piriformospora indica is an endophyte with a wide host range and is known to have photoprotective and phytopromotional capabilities, holding immense potential in encouraging sustainable agriculture.