Sugarcane root fungal endophytes in the state of São Paulo, Brazil
Saccharum sp.; dark septate endophytes; molecular techniques; plant growth promotion
The growing world population represents a challenge to food production and, with this, to the agricultural technologies used. However, the negative effects on the environment derived from the indiscriminate use of chemical inputs in conventional agriculture are currently evident. A promising alternative lies in the application of plant growth promoting microorganisms, and development of biological inoculants. The present qualification exam, refers to the thesis entitled "Sugarcane root fungal endophytes in the state of São Paulo, Brazil". As part of the exam, the following topics will be addressed: factors determining the rhizospheric and root endophytic microbial communities, main molecular techniques used for microbial identification, methods to evaluate plant growth promotion capacity by microorganisms and potential ways to inoculate root endophytic fungi.