The inside story on endophytes

The use of endophyte enhanced grasses as control agents for insects and diseases, as well as for stress and drought tolerance, is probably the most widely adopted and yet little recognized of all biocontrol agents in turf.

How do endyophytes work? When the fungus Neotyphodium (formerly Acremonium) grows inside (endophytically) cool-season grasses, it produces chemicals such as alkaloids, indole diterpenes and peramine. Though these chemicals do not hurt the turf, they are toxic to a wide variety of insects. The…