{"id":8756,"date":"2020-02-24T16:26:14","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T21:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences-new\/?p=8756"},"modified":"2020-03-03T15:23:34","modified_gmt":"2020-03-03T20:23:34","slug":"fungi-fertilize-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/news\/fungi-fertilize-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Fungi Fertilize the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think your town is crowded?\u00a0 There are more living organisms in a gram of soil than there are people on earth.\u00a0 It\u2019s a part of a vast under-foot ecosystem with a big job. The soil food web provides the amazing service of recycling nature\u2019s trash into soil treasure.\u00a0 And it holds promise as the source for natural sustainable plant nutrition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plant roots surge through the crowded soil domain in search of water and nutrients to nourish their leaves and fruit above.\u00a0 But the roots don’t do the job alone. They wick up moisture but have a limited footprint and can\u2019t always directly access the soil nutrients they seek.\u00a0 So plant roots tap into a subterranean support network.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Enter the Microbes<\/b><\/h1>\n

Microscopic organisms, including mycorrhizal fungi, work cooperatively with plant roots to deliver vital nutrients in exchange for a carbohydrate fee.\u00a0 Mycorrhizal fungi surround and physically invade plant roots – establishing colony networks around and through the roots to cooperatively barter scavenged nutrients for a plant-supplied carbon reward.\u00a0 Most plant roots are welcome hosts going so far as to signal their presence to microbes, chemically waving an open house invitation for microbes to set up residence and making specific nutrient requests that the fungi can deliver.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are thousands of species of mycorrhizal fungi.\u00a0 Each type tends to specialize in their associations with specific plant species.\u00a0 Almost 90% of land plants form symbiotic relationships with some type of these beneficial microbes, including most agricultural crops.\u00a0 <\/span>Like probiotics and human gut bacteria, these tiny nutritional heroes have been gaining scientific research attention, but mostly related to their ability to supply nitrogen and phosphorus. Little has been known about fungi\u2019s ability to transport the third essential plant macronutrient potassium until now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Chart
Graphic by K. Garcia, NC State University Department of Crop and Soil Sciences<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Streaming Nutrition<\/b><\/h1>\n

NC State Department of Crop and Soil Sciences researcher Kevin Garcia sees a future in fertilizers where plants decide which nutrients they need.\u00a0 Capitalizing on the plant\/fungi codependence could set up a soil-borne GrubHub-type system where plants \u2018order out\u2019 the precise nutrient mix they need by signaling to soil microbes which nutrients are in demand. Understanding the rhizosphere interaction between plants and mycorrhizal fungi poses an interesting future for streaming plant fertility with no human error, fewer synthetics, and better plant health.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Microbe populations are ever-present in healthy soil. So why isn\u2019t this happening already?\u00a0 Because fertilizer is fast food. Fertilizers offer a nutrient-heavy buffet right at the plants\u2019 feet with no delivery or support system needed. But it becomes a self-fulfilling cycle as fertilizers negatively impact fungal populations.\u00a0 Fewer fungi mean more fertilizer is needed, and so it snowballs. The system only works until it doesn\u2019t. Agriculturally depleted soils requiring constant inputs raise sustainability concerns.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of the huge variability in microbe types\/populations, soil conditions, and plant varieties, understanding the nutrient transport between plants and mycorrhizal fungi is a relatively new field.\u00a0 \u201cMost of the research appears on the transport of nitrogen and phosphorus, and very little focus on the potassium. We\u2019ve realized that these fungi are important for potassium transport from the soil to the plant.\u00a0 They even impact the transport of micronutrients like zinc, iron, and copper,\u201d Garcia noted.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Value of Potassium<\/b><\/h1>\n

Potassium is essential to plant health – to both native and agricultural species.\u00a0 Potassium-deficient plants display yellowing leaf margins and stunted growth resulting in low output. It improves plant root growth and yield and provides and provides roots with built-in weather resistance to wilting and drought tolerance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most NC soils are high in natural potassium deposits, but these sources are usually in frustratingly inaccessible forms that are structurally bound with minerals or are trapped in clay layers, like a fully stocked but out of order vending machine.\u00a0 So most NC soils test as potassium-deficient and are supplemented with potassium inputs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Map<\/p>\n

Fertilizers pose challenges in accuracy, economics, and unintended consequences.\u00a0 Finding natural alternatives could benefit plants and growers. But potassium fertilizers, called potash, are relatively inexpensive right now.\u00a0 However, they are finite, non-renewable, polluting to extract, and fleeting in the soil. Opportunities for alternatives are welcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Natural Nutrient Miners<\/b><\/h1>\n
\"Mycorrhizal
Mycorrhizal fungi expand the root zone of plants<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beneficial mycorrhizal fungi have the unique ability to tap natural nutrient deposits and supply them in a usable form for plants. In nature, the expansive network of fungi systems can increase the area of nutrient uptake in the soil for roots by a scale of 1,000.\u00a0 For a plant\u2019s roots, a cubic meter of searchable soil is exponentially increased to a cubic kilometer where a strong mycorrhizal fungi population exists. Mycorrhizal fungi offer the opportunity to search and deliver nutrients in enormous areas that plant roots never reach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Garcia\u2019s lab team, including PhD student Danielle Cooney<\/a>, is working in this new field of rhizomatic research to prove that mycorrhizal fungi can transport the essential macronutrient potassium.\u00a0 They\u2019ve proven this ability in the lab and are working to reliably replicate the success. They are also working to bridge basic lab science to field-test their discovery, an entirely different challenge.\u00a0 \u201cWhen we put inoculum fungi in the field it is complicated, there are many factors we do not control. There are natural populations of microbes already there in the soil. We don\u2019t know how they will interact.\u00a0 Or if the inoculant we\u2019ve chosen is even compatible with the plant species. There is a lot left to learn,\u201d Garcia said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Garcia\u2019s initial work focuses on evaluating two strains of fungi and their interactions with three cultivars of soybeans.\u00a0 Their research measures the plant\/fungi interactions\u2019 impact on yield, biomass, nutrient content (particularly potassium), and grain protein content. \u201cThe basic question is can we use these inoculants instead of fertilizers to provide the same beneficial results?\u201d Garcia\u2019s group also investigated mycorrhizal fungi\u2019s impact on potassium use by model legumes, corn, and even pine.\u00a0 Future research may target other NC crops plagued by potassium deficiency such as cotton and peanuts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Intelligent Fertilizer Decisions<\/b><\/h1>\n

<\/span><\/b>Learning to manage soil biology, like mycorrhizal fungi, has profound impacts on the use of many common agricultural inputs and management practices, like tillage.\u00a0 Garcia hopes his team\u2019s work will eventually offer an \u2018intelligent\u2019 on-demand fertility alternative to potassium fertilizers. \u201cIt\u2019s a dream to think we can completely replace chemical fertilizers.\u00a0 We need to develop plants that can interact better with the environment. We\u2019re seeking to reduce our dependence on fertilizers by using the natural microbiological community in the soil.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Next Level Fungi<\/h1>\n

Kevin Garcia’s lab is also involved with a new interdisciplinary research project<\/a> to harness beneficial fungal endophytes for pathogen control and drought tolerance in North Carolina crops through the NC Plant Sciences Initiative<\/a>.\u00a0 This GRIP4PSI project is part of a University seed-funding effort to push the boundaries of plant science research by tapping thought leadership across multiple departments.\u00a0 Garcia expects this new project to generate new genetic tools for beneficial fungi and new model fungal species which will enhance his current mycorrhizal research.<\/p>\n

Interested in More Innovation?<\/b><\/h1>\n

Research advances constantly.\u00a0 Keep on top of the latest news from the Department of Crop & Soil Sciences by joining our <\/span>Friends of Crop & Soil Sciences<\/span><\/a> weekly newsletter. If you are a student interested in soil science (or know someone who is), learn about our <\/span>multiple degree programs<\/span><\/a> or sign up for an <\/span>email exploration<\/span><\/a> of our department\u2019s undergraduate studies. We are growing the future.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"Think your town is crowded?\u00a0 There are more living organisms in a gram of soil than there are people on earth.\u00a0 It\u2019s a part of a vast under-foot ecosystem with a big job. The soil food web provides the amazing service of recycling nature\u2019s trash into soil treasure.\u00a0 And it holds promise as the source for natural sustainable plant nutrition.<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlant roots surge through the crowded soil domain in search of water and nutrients to nourish their leaves and fruit above.\u00a0 But the roots don't do the job alone. They wick up moisture but have a limited footprint and can\u2019t always directly access the soil nutrients they seek.\u00a0 So plant roots tap into a subterranean support network.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

Enter the Microbes<\/b><\/h1>\r\nMicroscopic organisms, including mycorrhizal fungi, work cooperatively with plant roots to deliver vital nutrients in exchange for a carbohydrate fee.\u00a0 Mycorrhizal fungi surround and physically invade plant roots - establishing colony networks around and through the roots to cooperatively barter scavenged nutrients for a plant-supplied carbon reward.\u00a0 Most plant roots are welcome hosts going so far as to signal their presence to microbes, chemically waving an open house invitation for microbes to set up residence and making specific nutrient requests that the fungi can deliver.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThere are thousands of species of mycorrhizal fungi.\u00a0 Each type tends to specialize in their associations with specific plant species.\u00a0 Almost 90% of land plants form symbiotic relationships with some type of these beneficial microbes, including most agricultural crops.\u00a0 <\/span>Like probiotics and human gut bacteria, these tiny nutritional heroes have been gaining scientific research attention, but mostly related to their ability to supply nitrogen and phosphorus. Little has been known about fungi\u2019s ability to transport the third essential plant macronutrient potassium until now.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8758\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1466\"]\"Chart Graphic by K. Garcia, NC State University Department of Crop and Soil Sciences[\/caption]\r\n

Streaming Nutrition<\/b><\/h1>\r\nNC State Department of Crop and Soil Sciences researcher Kevin Garcia sees a future in fertilizers where plants decide which nutrients they need.\u00a0 Capitalizing on the plant\/fungi codependence could set up a soil-borne GrubHub-type system where plants \u2018order out\u2019 the precise nutrient mix they need by signaling to soil microbes which nutrients are in demand. Understanding the rhizosphere interaction between plants and mycorrhizal fungi poses an interesting future for streaming plant fertility with no human error, fewer synthetics, and better plant health.\u00a0 <\/span>\r\n\r\nMicrobe populations are ever-present in healthy soil. So why isn\u2019t this happening already?\u00a0 Because fertilizer is fast food. Fertilizers offer a nutrient-heavy buffet right at the plants\u2019 feet with no delivery or support system needed. But it becomes a self-fulfilling cycle as fertilizers negatively impact fungal populations.\u00a0 Fewer fungi mean more fertilizer is needed, and so it snowballs. The system only works until it doesn\u2019t. Agriculturally depleted soils requiring constant inputs raise sustainability concerns.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nBecause of the huge variability in microbe types\/populations, soil conditions, and plant varieties, understanding the nutrient transport between plants and mycorrhizal fungi is a relatively new field.\u00a0 \u201cMost of the research appears on the transport of nitrogen and phosphorus, and very little focus on the potassium. We\u2019ve realized that these fungi are important for potassium transport from the soil to the plant.\u00a0 They even impact the transport of micronutrients like zinc, iron, and copper,\u201d Garcia noted.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

The Value of Potassium<\/b><\/h1>\r\nPotassium is essential to plant health - to both native and agricultural species.\u00a0 Potassium-deficient plants display yellowing leaf margins and stunted growth resulting in low output. It improves plant root growth and yield and provides and provides roots with built-in weather resistance to wilting and drought tolerance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nMost NC soils are high in natural potassium deposits, but these sources are usually in frustratingly inaccessible forms that are structurally bound with minerals or are trapped in clay layers, like a fully stocked but out of order vending machine.\u00a0 So most NC soils test as potassium-deficient and are supplemented with potassium inputs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"Map\r\n\r\nFertilizers pose challenges in accuracy, economics, and unintended consequences.\u00a0 Finding natural alternatives could benefit plants and growers. But potassium fertilizers, called potash, are relatively inexpensive right now.\u00a0 However, they are finite, non-renewable, polluting to extract, and fleeting in the soil. Opportunities for alternatives are welcome.<\/span>\r\n

Natural Nutrient Miners<\/b><\/h1>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8766\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"320\"]\"Mycorrhizal Mycorrhizal fungi expand the root zone of plants[\/caption]\r\n\r\nBeneficial mycorrhizal fungi have the unique ability to tap natural nutrient deposits and supply them in a usable form for plants. In nature, the expansive network of fungi systems can increase the area of nutrient uptake in the soil for roots by a scale of 1,000.\u00a0 For a plant\u2019s roots, a cubic meter of searchable soil is exponentially increased to a cubic kilometer where a strong mycorrhizal fungi population exists. Mycorrhizal fungi offer the opportunity to search and deliver nutrients in enormous areas that plant roots never reach.<\/span>\r\n\r\nGarcia\u2019s lab team, including PhD student Danielle Cooney<\/a>, is working in this new field of rhizomatic research to prove that mycorrhizal fungi can transport the essential macronutrient potassium.\u00a0 They\u2019ve proven this ability in the lab and are working to reliably replicate the success. They are also working to bridge basic lab science to field-test their discovery, an entirely different challenge.\u00a0 \u201cWhen we put inoculum fungi in the field it is complicated, there are many factors we do not control. There are natural populations of microbes already there in the soil. We don\u2019t know how they will interact.\u00a0 Or if the inoculant we\u2019ve chosen is even compatible with the plant species. There is a lot left to learn,\u201d Garcia said.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGarcia\u2019s initial work focuses on evaluating two strains of fungi and their interactions with three cultivars of soybeans.\u00a0 Their research measures the plant\/fungi interactions\u2019 impact on yield, biomass, nutrient content (particularly potassium), and grain protein content. \u201cThe basic question is can we use these inoculants instead of fertilizers to provide the same beneficial results?\u201d Garcia\u2019s group also investigated mycorrhizal fungi\u2019s impact on potassium use by model legumes, corn, and even pine.\u00a0 Future research may target other NC crops plagued by potassium deficiency such as cotton and peanuts.<\/span>\r\n

Intelligent Fertilizer Decisions<\/b><\/h1>\r\n[pullquote align=right, color=red]We need to develop plants that can interact better with the environment.[\/pullquote]<\/span><\/b>Learning to manage soil biology, like mycorrhizal fungi, has profound impacts on the use of many common agricultural inputs and management practices, like tillage.\u00a0 Garcia hopes his team\u2019s work will eventually offer an \u2018intelligent\u2019 on-demand fertility alternative to potassium fertilizers. \u201cIt\u2019s a dream to think we can completely replace chemical fertilizers.\u00a0 We need to develop plants that can interact better with the environment. We\u2019re seeking to reduce our dependence on fertilizers by using the natural microbiological community in the soil.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

Next Level Fungi<\/h1>\r\nKevin Garcia's lab is also involved with a new interdisciplinary research project<\/a> to harness beneficial fungal endophytes for pathogen control and drought tolerance in North Carolina crops through the NC Plant Sciences Initiative<\/a>.\u00a0 This GRIP4PSI project is part of a University seed-funding effort to push the boundaries of plant science research by tapping thought leadership across multiple departments.\u00a0 Garcia expects this new project to generate new genetic tools for beneficial fungi and new model fungal species which will enhance his current mycorrhizal research.\r\n

Interested in More Innovation?<\/b><\/h1>\r\nResearch advances constantly.\u00a0 Keep on top of the latest news from the Department of Crop & Soil Sciences by joining our <\/span>Friends of Crop & Soil Sciences<\/span><\/a> weekly newsletter. If you are a student interested in soil science (or know someone who is), learn about our <\/span>multiple degree programs<\/span><\/a> or sign up for an <\/span>email exploration<\/span><\/a> of our department\u2019s undergraduate studies. We are growing the future.<\/span>"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Think your town is crowded?\u00a0 There are more living organisms in a gram of soil than there are people on earth.\u00a0 It\u2019s a part of a vast under-foot ecosystem with a big job. The soil food web provides the amazing service of recycling nature\u2019s trash into soil treasure.\u00a0 And it holds promise as the source for natural sustainable plant nutrition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2196,"featured_media":8768,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[18,23],"tags":[300,302,94,299,15,301,245,124,161],"class_list":["post-8756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-impact","category-research","tag-fertilizer","tag-grips4psi","tag-innovation","tag-mycorrhizal-fungi","tag-plant-sciences","tag-psi","tag-soil-research","tag-soybean","tag-sustainable"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8756"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8772,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8756\/revisions\/8772"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}