About the author
microorganisms and abiotic stresses (sunlight, heat, dryness, etc.), which decrease their survival chances; also
farmers do not need to apply the BCA as this is done by the seed or tissue culture producer. When endophytes
are the BCA of choice, and are inoculated into/onto seeds or seedlings, their survival chances are greatly
enhanced, as they are protected by the plant tissues from competition and inhospitable abiotic conditions.
Mutualistic endophytes isolated from root tissues are of special interest in controlling plant parasitic nematodes
and soil-borne diseases, as these endophytes inhabit the same niche as these pests and pathogens (Sikora et
al., 2008).
Recent advances
Researching the effectiveness of novel BCA is a valuable goal in and of itself; an additional aim of much
research is the development of a commercial product, based on the organism studied. Progress towards this
goal has recently been made in East Africa. An endophyte, originally isolated from banana tissue, F. oxysporum
strain V5W2, is being registered as a commercial biological control agent in Kenya, under the leadership of Jomo
Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and in cooperation with the International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture. Following registration, the Real IPM Company will be licensed to mass-produce the product for use
in banana seed systems to control nematodes
and weevils. In Uganda, endophyte technology
has been embedded directly into commercial
tissue culture companies, such as Agro-Genetic
Technologies. In Central America, Bioversity
International (formerly INIBAP), in cooperation
with Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., has carried
out successful field trials testing the
effectiveness of locally isolated banana
endophytes to control nematodes in commercial
plantations.
Engaging in such public-private partnerships
facilitates the transition of research results into
commercially available products, for use to the
benefit of many.
Endophyte treated (right) and untreated (left) banana seedlings of
same age. – A. zum Felde
Alexandra zum Felde studied
agriculture and ecology,
specializing in plant pathology
and nematology in Europe,
North and Central America.
She received her doctoral
degree in 2008, and is
presently working at IITA-
Ibadan as PostDoc in Banana
and Plantain Agronomy for
West Africa.
email: A.zumFelde@cgiar.org
This Technical Innovation
Brief is published by:
SP-IPM Secretariat
SP-IPM@cgiar.org
www.spipm.cgiar.org
Further reading
Backman, P.A. and Sikora, R.A. (2008). Endophytes: An emerging tool for biological control. Biological Control
46: 1-3.
Hallmann, J. and Sikora, R.A. (1996). Toxicity of fungal endophyte secondary metabolites to plant parasitic
nematodes and soil-borne plant pathogenic fungi. European Journal of Plant Pathology 102: 155-162.
Olivain, C., Humbert, C., Nahalkova, J., Fatehi, J., L’Haridon, F., and Alabouvette, C. (2006). Colonization of
tomato root by pathogenic and nonpathogenic Fusarium oxysporum strains inoculated together and
separately into the soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72(2): 1523-1531.
Paparu, P., Dubois, T., Coyne, D., and Viljoen, A. (2008). Defense-related gene expression in susceptible and
tolerant bananas (Musa spp.) following inoculation with non-pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum endophytes
and challenge with Radopholus similis. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 72: 149-157.
Sikora, R.A, Schäfer, K., and Dababat, A.A. (2007). Modes of action associated with microbially induced in
planta suppression of plant parasitic nematodes. Australasian Plant Pathology 36: 124-134.
Sikora, R.A., Pocasangre, L., zum Felde, A., Niere, B., Vu, T.T., and Dababat, A.A. (2008). Mutualistic
endophytic fungi and in planta suppressiveness to plant parasitic nematodes. Biological Control 46: 15-
23.
Sikora, R.A., zum Felde, A., Mendoza, A., Menjivar, R., and Pocasangre, L., (2010). In planta suppressiveness
to nematodes and long-term root health stability through biological enhancement - do we need a cocktail?
Acta Horticulturae (ISHS) 879: 553-560.
Vu,T., Hauschild, R., and Sikora, R.A. (2006). Fusarium oxysporum endophytes induced systemic resistance
against Radopholus similis on banana. Nematology 8(6): 847-852.
zum Felde, A., Mendoza, A., Cabrera, J.A., Kurtz, A., Schouten, A., Pocasangre, L., and Sikora, R.A. (2009).
The burrowing nematode of bananas: strategies for controlling the uncontrollable. Acta Horticulturae 828:
101-108.
SP-IPM Steering Committee Members:
Sikora, R (Program Chair); Nwilene, F (AfricaRice); Ramasamy, S (AVRDC); Staver, C (Bioversity); Buruchara, R (CIAT); Nicol, J (CIMMYT); Kroschel, J (CIP); Yahyaoui, A (ICARDA);
Chabi-Olaye, A (icipe); Sharma, H (ICRISAT); Narrod, C (IFPRI); Bandyopadhyay, R (IITA); Heong, KL (IRRI); Bramel, P (DDG –R4D convening center, IITA); Hoeschle-Zeledon, I
(Program Coordinator, IITA)