Exploring Endophytes Across Maize Tissues: Their Diverse Contributions to Fall Armyworm Resistance

Preliminary screening of 30 maize hybrids against fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda was done. Based on the resistant category, hybrids were selected for isolation studies. A total of five fungal endophytes, Trichoderma, Metarhizium, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Aspergillus species were isolated at 20 and 60 days after sowing (DAS). Among these, two fungal species (Aspergillus and Penicillium species) from the leaf, one Fusarium species from root tissues, and two fungal species (Metarhizium and Trichoderma) from both whorl leaf and root samples were isolated from the selected maize hybrids. At 20 DAS, Aspergillus, Metarizhium, Penicillium, and Trichoderma species were isolated, where the colonization was more in whorl leaf samples (20.37%) when compared to root tissues (9.25%). Trichoderma species showed the highest colonization (6.48%), followed by Aspergillus (3.7%) and Metarhizium (2.77%). At 60 DAS, Aspergillus, Metarizhium, Penicillium, Trichoderma, and Fusarium species were isolated, where maximum colonization was seen in whorl leaf samples (14.81%) in comparison with root tissues (11.11%). Out of the endophytes isolated, Trichoderma showed the highest colonization (5.55%), followed by Aspergillus, Metarizhium, Penicillium, and Fusarium species (1.85% each).. KEYWORDS :Colonization, Endophytes, Fungal isolates, Maize, Resistance, Spodoptera frugiperda