Lecanicillium aphanocladii Isolated from Chrysanthemum morifolium: Promotion of plant growth and biocontrol of the greenpeach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer)

Lecanicillium is an important entomopathogenic fungus with great potential for development as an agricultural biocontrol agent. However, few existing reports have mentioned the effects of Lecanicillium on plant growth. In this study, an endophytic fungus identified as Lecanicillium phanocladii was isolated. This strain exhibited multiple PGP activities, such as production of ammonia, siderophores, solubilization of mineral potassium. Endophytic-primed plants showed enhanced plant height and biomass compared to the unprimed control. The entomopathogenic and plant growth promoting traits of Lecanicillium phanocladii strain suggest that it has great potential for utilization in sustainable food production.