Phylogenetic analysis of Hypocreales strains isolated from olive trees, a fungal order known to harbour promising biocontrol agents

Abstract: CIMO-CC is a recently established microbial culture collection hosted at CIMO-IPB (Bragança, Portugal). This culture collection is a repository of relevant microorganisms for agriculture, namely olive crops, taking advantage of the numerous sampling and isolation campaigns being undertaken through time by team members of the AgroBioTec lab. Among fungi, the order Hypocreales is known to encompass species that are used as biological control agents (notably, Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma spp.), but also some putative phytopathogens (e. g. Fusarium spp.). In this work, we expose the phylogenetic diversity of endophytic and epiphytic Hypocreales strains which were previously obtained from olive tree tissues, and are to be included in CIMO-CC. The 93 Hypocreales strains are distributed by seven families and include Beauveria, Trichoderma, and Sarocladium, as well as Fusarium species. The relevance of these innate, olive-associate fungi to be used as biocontrol agents in olive tree protection is discussed.