Endophytes: key role players for sustainable agriculture: mechanisms, omics insights and future prospects

Endophytic microorganisms, including bacterial and fungal species, establish symbiotic relationships within plant tissues, contributing to plant growth, nutrient acquisition, and stress resilience. In this review, multiple roles of endophyte-plant interactions have been discussed. Endophytes aid in nitrogen fixation for plants, enhance nutrient solubilization and uptake, control the attack of phytopathogens on plants, and help the plants to tolerate environmental stresses. The molecular mechanisms of these interactions, uncovered by the advancements in genomics, metabolomics, and microbiome engineering, reveal novel bioactive compounds and metabolic pathways that can improve crop resilience. The integration of multi-omics technologies and functional validation holds great potential for sustainable agriculture, offering new strategies for formulating effective biostimulants, bioinoculants, and biocontrol agents to improve crop health, agricultural productivity, and nutritional quality.