Abstract:

Beauveria bassiana has long been regarded as an important entomopathogenic fungus and has been widely applied in the biological control of agricultural and forestry pests. Recent studies have shown that this fungus can colonize internal plant tissues as a facultative endophyte, promoting plant growth and enhancing plant resistance to pests and diseases without causing obvious disease symptoms. These features highlight its unique potential for integrated “pest control-plant growth promotion” applications. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in research on the plant growth-promoting effects of B. bassiana in China and abroad, with particular emphasis on its endophytic colonization characteristics, growth-promoting performance, underlying mechanisms, including hormonal regulation, induced resistance, enhanced nutrient acquisition, and rhizosphere microbiome modulation, as well as its application potential and associated challenges. Current evidence indicates that B. bassiana can improve crop productivity and stress resistance through multidimensional physiological and ecological interactions. However, several key bottlenecks remain to be addressed, including the validation of field application and stability, the development of compound formulations, and comprehensive ecological safety assessment. Future research should focus on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying plant-fungus interactions, constructing efficient engineered strains, and exploring synergistic strategies that integrate B. bassiana application with plant breeding. Such efforts will provide a theoretical basis for the large-scale agricultural application of B. bassiana as a multifunctional microbial resource.

Key words: Beauveria bassiana, endophytic colonization, growth promotion, rhizosphere microecology, application advances