Beneficial fungal microbes as novel ecosustainable tools for forage crops

Abstract

Traditional approaches to protect agricultural crops are based on the use of chemical pesticides. Nevertheless, these products are costly, contaminate the environment and are harmful to animals and humans. Reduction or elimination of chemical applications in agriculture is extremely needed, and the application of biostimulants and biological control agents is an efficient alternative for an eco-sustainable agriculture. This study demonstrated that formulations based on fungi belonging to Trichoderma genus had beneficial effects on forage crops and significantly affected plant metabolome.