A team of Swiss researchers from the Universities of Zurich and Basel has demonstrated for the first time that incorporating mycorrhizal fungi into soil can markedly boost crop yields. The study appears in Nature Microbiology.
Mycorrhizal fungi are a specialized group of soil-dwelling fungi whose networks form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of many herbaceous and woody plants, a partnership known as mycorrhiza.
In a comprehensive field trial, the researchers mixed mycorrhizal fungi into soil before planting across 800 experimental plots on 54 maize farms located in northern and eastern Switzerland.
Results showed that maize yields rose by 40 percent in 25 percent of the plots. In contrast, yields remained the same or declined in about one-third of the parcels.
To understand these variations, the team assessed soil chemistry, physical structure and biology, including the diversity and activity of soil microbes.
One key finding was that the benefits of mycorrhizae are greatest when the soil harbors a higher burden of fungal pathogens. In such cases, the fungi seem to shield plants by suppressing pathogens that would otherwise weaken them, a concept that resonates with plant health and resilience in real-world farming (Nature Microbiology report, 2023).
Researchers suggest these results represent a meaningful step toward more sustainable agricultural practices, offering a potential strategy to enhance yields while reducing chemical inputs.
These findings align with ongoing investigations into how mycorrhizal networks influence crop production and soil health across diverse agroecosystems (Nature Microbiology, 2023).