Endophyte fungal diversity of wild Rubiaceae in Costa Rica. Endophyte fungi

Biological control with microorganisms is proved to be a cost-effective solution, particularly the use of endophytic fungi, that are those living in the interior of healthy and asymptomatic hosts. The role of fungal endophytes deserves attention because they could provide a vital role to their hosts. Classical biocontrol aims to restore ecological balance and reduce pathogens by introducing co-evolved natural enemies.Knowing that in the tropics exist a great diversity of Rubiaceae species, is highly probable to find fungal endophytes that could be applied in Coffea arabica.With that aim, the objectives of this work are: characterize culturable endophytes from wild Rubiaceae in Costa Rica and identify and test fungal antagonistic species against the common pathogens of coffee. Showing that Rubiaceae endophytes are able to colonize coffee plants and improve health and resistance to pathogens could bring light to the understanding of endophytic communities and their interactions which are one of the most promising and poorly understood areas of biotechnology.