Tripartite interactions of an endophytic entomopathogenic fungus, Asian corn borer, and host maize under elevated carbon dioxide.

Background: Biological control of insect pests is encountering an unprecedented challenge in agricultural systems due to the ongoing rise in carbon dioxide (CO) level. The use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) in these systems is gaining increased attention, and EPF as crop endophytes hold the potential for combining insect pest control and yield enhancement of crops, but the effects of increased CO concentration on this interaction are poorly understood. Here, the introduction of endophytic EPF was explored as an alternative sustainable management strategy benefiting crops under elevated CO, using maize (Zea mays), Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis), and EPF (Beauveria bassiana) to test changes in damage to maize plants from O. furnacalis, and the nutritional status (content of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), biomass, and yield of maize.

Results: The results showed that endophytic B. bassiana could alleviate the damage caused by O. furnacalis larvae for maize plants under ambient CO concentration, and this effect was enhanced under higher CO concentration. Inoculation with B. bassiana effectively counteracted the adverse impact of elevated CO on maize plants by preserving the nitrogen content at its baseline level (comparable with ambient CO conditions without B. bassiana). Both simultaneous effects could explain the improvement of biomass and yield of maize under B. bassiana inoculation and elevated CO.

Conclusion: This finding provides key information about the multifaceted benefits of B. bassiana as a maize endophyte. Our results highlight the promising potential of incorporating EPF as endophytes into integrated pest management strategies, particularly under elevated CO concentrations. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.