The present invention relates to an endophyte strain isolated from a plant of the Poaceae family, wherein said endophyte is a strain of Pseudomonas poae which provides bioprotection and/or biofertilizer phenotypes to plants into which it is inoculated. The present invention also relates to plants infected with the endophyte and related methods.

Described is an isolated strain of the fungus Colonostachys rosea termed BVT Cr-7 useful as a biological control agent for the treatment of plants. The isolated strain, formulations comprising said strain and/or spores derived from said strain may be applied to plants or plant materials in order to improve plant yield, to improve plant growth, or for the treatment or prevention of diseases or pathogens in the plant.

This disclosure provides to a new tall fescue grass endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum) referred to as 647, as well as to synthetic combinations of the 647 endophyte and tall fescue grass plant or tall fescue grass cultivar. This new endophyte does not produce detectable ergovaline or any other ergopeptide alkaloids which are known to be harmful to grazing livestock. Thus, the 647 endophyte can be used in combination with forage grasses. In addition, the 647 endophyte provides increased green matter yield and improved resistance to black beetles (Heteronychus arator) and other pests. Thus, the 647 endophyte can be used in combination with grasses susceptible to infection or infestation with black beetles.

Glomus iranicum var. tenuihypharum var. nov. strain deposited under BCCM deposit number 54871, comprising the sequence identified by SEQ ID NO: 1; composition comprising said strain and 2:1 smectite clays and use thereof as bio-stimulant. The invention also discloses a composition comprising said strain, fungicides, bio-fungicides, insecticides, bio-insecticides, nematicides and bio-nematicides.

The present disclosure provides compositions comprising novel endophytes capable of promoting germination endophytes that have a symbiotic relationship with plants. The present disclosure further provides methods of improving seed vitality, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, plant health and yield under both stressed and unstressed environmental conditions, comprising inoculating a seed with the novel endophyte strains and cultivating a plant therefrom.

The present disclosure provides compositions comprising novel endophytes capable of promoting germination endophytes that have a symbiotic relationship with plants. The present disclosure further provides methods of improving seed vitality, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, plant health and yield under both stressed and unstressed environmental conditions, comprising inoculating a seed with the novel endophyte strains and cultivating a plant therefrom.

The invention provides methods for preparing a conifer seedling with increased tolerance to a pest. A conifer seedling is inoculated with an isolated endophyte when the conifer seedling is susceptible to colonization by the endophyte.

Disclosed herein are methods of growing a plant, comprising applying to the plant and/or growth medium (a)an effective amount of a composition comprising one or more mycorrhizal fungi and/or one or more mycorrhiza helper bacteria (MHB)[A1] and (b) an effective amount of a composition comprising one or more gibberellins, one or more auxins, salicylic acid, and/or one or more jasmonates. Also disclosed herein are mixtures and uses of the compositions. The compositions can improve crop yield of plants and boost microbial activity in the soil.

The present invention relates to a method for identifying and/or characterising an endophyte strain, said method including providing a plurality of samples of endophytes, subjecting said endophytes to genetic analysis, subjecting said endophytes to metabolic analysis and selecting endophytes having a desired genetic and metabolic profile.

The present invention also relates to novel endophytes having a desired toxin profile wherein the endophyte produces significantly less toxic alkaloids compared with a control endophyte such as standard toxic (ST) endophyte; and/or significantly more alkaloids conferring beneficial properties compared with a control endophyte such as ST endophyte.

The present invention also relates to endophyte variants having a desired genetic and metabolic profile, wherein said endophyte variants possess genetic and/or metabolic characteristics that result in a beneficial phenotype in a plant harbouring or otherwise associated with the endophyte variant. Preferably said endophyte variants are generated by polyploidisation or induced chromosome doubling.

A method of increasing organic carbon in a soil is disclosed. The method includes inoculating the soil and/or a plant growing in the soil with one or more fungal strains from at least one genus selected from the group consisting of Acrocalymma, Clonostachys, Leptodontidium, Periconia, Phaeosphaeria, Thozetella, Trichoderma, and a combination thereof, wherein the one or more fungal strains are in an amount effective to increase organic carbon in the soil compared to a non-inoculated control soil. Also disclosed is a method of enhancing plant growth, comprising: applying to a plant, a plant part, or the locus surrounding the plant with one or more fungal strains from at least one genus selected from the group consisting of Acrocalymma, Clonostachys, Leptodontidium, Periconia, Phaeosphaeria, Thozetella, Trichoderma, and a combination thereof in an amount effective to enhance the growth of the plant as compared to an untreated control plant.