FOOD SECURITY IN FLUCTUATING CLIMATE ENDURE BY ENDOPHYTES

Abstract

The global food security, on account of a blazing intimidation of climatic change, is highly distressed by the capricious plant pathogenic diseases and drought which will surge in severity and frequency in the future leading to a credible shrink in food production. Endophytes are valuable microorganisms and naturally safe for plants to induce tolerance. Therefore, the current study was executed to assess the endophytic potential in wheat against rust diseases and drought stress. The fungal endophytes were isolated from the desert plants samples, cultured on different media and identified by molecular, immunological and biochemical analytical methods. Efficient fugal endophytes were inoculated by dipping the wheat seeds in fungal spores’ suspension. Rust and drought stresses were applied to the rust susceptible and drought sensitive wheat genotypes respectively by skipping the irrigation at a thesis stage and by applying disease inoculums. Wheat genotypes inoculated with endophytes revealed the tolerance against diseases and drought