The importance of endophyte in agricultural systems - changing plant and animal productivity

Infection of tall fescue and ryegrass pastures with Neotyphodium endophytes are of much greater interest in New World pastures than in Europe where they have been present as long as agriculture itself. This paper presents an overview of the importance of endophyte infection in pastures, enhancing the productivity and persistence of their hosts, both directly and through protection from invertebrate pressure, the biological factors behind this importance and the measures available to profit from the advantages of endophyte infection while palliating the negative effects.