Multifunctional Potential of Entomopathogenic and Yeast-like Fungi: A Review of Key Tools for Agriculture

Modern agriculture, heavily influenced by the Green Revolution, has increased productivity through the intensive use of external inputs and agrochemicals, but at the cost of growing environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, pest resistance, and risks to human health. This production model has proven to be environmentally unsustainable in the face of current challenges, such as climate change, the increase in the world’s population, and the depletion of natural resources. In this context, agroecology emerges as an integrative scientific approach that promotes the transition from conventional agricultural systems to diversified, resilient, and functionally balanced agroecosystems, based on ecological principles and the progressive reduction of synthetic inputs. This review addresses the role of fungal microorganisms, with an emphasis on entomopathogenic fungi and fungi associated with the plant microbiome, as key tools in the sustainable management of biotic agricultural challenges. This paper addresses the biology and multifunctionality of entomopathogenic fungi, not only as biological control agents but also as crop growth promoters and phytopathogen suppressors. Taken together, the background information presented reinforces the potential of entomopathogenic fungi as strategic components in agroecological transition processes, contributing to productive sustainability, reduced agrochemical use, and the restoration of the ecological functionality of agroecosystems.