Entomopathogenic fungi in reducing losses and enhancing insect resistance in soybean under drought stress

• Grant number: 24/01278-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Italo Delalibera Júnior
• Grantee: Paolo Salvatore Salazar Mendoza
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The increasing frequency and intensity of droughts present a substantial challenge to soybean production in Brazil. In addition to causing direct losses in crop yields, droughts can adversely affect the chemical defenses of plants, compromising their quality as hosts for pests and potentially leading to outbreaks. Since entomopathogenic fungi can establish endophytic associations with plants to promote benefits such as increased water and nutrient absorption and resistance to environmental stresses, these organisms emerge as promising agents for integrated management of environmental stresses in agricultural systems. This project aims to determine how endophytic fungi can alter the physiological and biochemical traits of soybean plants under drought stress to mitigate yield losses and enhance resistance to Spodoptera frugiperda, a key pest in soybean crops. Plants will be subjected to variations in drought stresses at different phenological stages using a precision automated drip irrigation system. At the same time, they will be treated with the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps javanica. This study will provide a deeper understanding of the interactions between plants, fungi, and insects under drought stress conditions, with practical implications for cultivation and integrated pest management in soybean crops in the face of climate change.