Endophyte enhanced grasses have been bred specifically to be insect, disease and fungus resistant. These grasses "taste" bad to surface feeding insects, such as sod webworms and chinch bugs. The use of these grasses will reduce the chance of insect and fungus problems.
When grass is infected with nonpathogenic fungal endophytes, it may meet the demand for lower fertilizer inputs and reduced use of pesticides. There seems to be a mutually beneficial relationship between these fungi and turfgrasses.
When used here, the term "endophytic" refers to a situation where one organism lives inside another. In this case, a fungus and grass form a relationship that is mutually beneficial and enhances the reproductive success of each.
Endophyte enhanced grasses provide an increased tolerance to stress. These grasses tend to generally be healthier, especially under conditions of minimal fertilization and irrigation. Studies have shown that these grasses also are more drought-tolerant, more competitive with weed species, able to recover more rapidly from injury and generally reproduce at a more rapid rate.