Natures wonders: fungal plant root symbiosis (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, October 29, 2019, 00:44 (1851 days ago) @ David Turell

Of course beneficial to all:

https://phys.org/news/2019-10-underground-fungal-relationships-key.html

"Plants live in symbiosis with root-associated, or mycorrhizal, fungi. The fungi provide up to 80 percent of the nutrients and water a plant needs to grow, and the plants produce up to 30 percent of the photosynthate—a food substance made through photosynthesis—that the fungi need.

"There are two main types of mycorrhizal fungi—arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal. An arbuscular mycorrhiza penetrates the cortical cells of the roots of a plant. Ectomycorrhizal fungi do not penetrate the plant's cell walls, instead forming a netlike structure around the plant root.

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"'Mycorrhizal fungal associations below the ground are one of the largest influences on plant tissue nutrient concentrations," said Kivlin. "To optimize plant nutrition, we need to incorporate mycorrhizal associations into our agricultural and management frameworks."

"Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increase plant nutrient concentrations in plant leaves, litter, and roots more than ectomycorrhizal fungi. The type of root-associated fungi present has more influence on a plant's nutrient levels than plant leaf traits or plant associations with nitrogen-fixing bacteria."

Comment: Just another example of cooperation between different organisms.