An endophyte is an organism that lives within a plant for at least part of its life without causing apparent disease. Endophytes are ubiquitious and have been found in nearly all plants studied to date.
However, most of these endophyte/plant relationships are not well understood; however, the type of symbiosis exhibited between plant and endophyte is often related to the reproductive mode of the endophyte. For example, vertically transmitted endophytes are asexual and transmit via fungal hyphae penetrating the host’s seeds (e.g. Neotyphodium). Evolutionary theory predicts these endophytes to evolve toward mutualism, since their reproductive fitness is intimately tied to that of their host plant. Conversely, horizontally transmitted endophytes are sexual and transmit via spores that can be spread by wind and/or insect vectors. Therefore, these endophytes can evolve a more pathogenic lifestyle since they can escape their host plant.
The endophyte is passed to the next generation of turfgrass plants through the seed.
Endophytic grasses have shown high resistance to foliar-feeding insects such as billbugs, chinch bugs, sod webworms, fall army-worms and argentine stem weevils.
Endophytic grasses may form an integral part of an IPM strategy for turf in that they can withstand a range of mowing, fertilization, and irrigation practices.
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