Role of Mycorrhizal Fungi in Soil Nutrient Uptake

Bacteria and Mycorrhizal Fungi

• Rhizobacteria are limited in their ability to absorb minerals from the soil, as they can only live near the roots and the zone of absorption is limited.
• Most minerals in the soil are outside the reach of the roots and rhizobacteria.

Mycorrhizal Fungi

• Mycorrhizal fungi live in a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, forming a living connection within the roots and creating an absorption and transport system.
• This symbiotic relationship is essential for healthy plant growth.
• Mycorrhizal fungi are typically absent in agricultural soils due to modernization.

How Mycorrhizal Fungi Help Plants

• Mycorrhizal fungal threads are thinner than bacteria, allowing them to grow in micropores where most nutrients and water are stored.
• The fungal threads absorb nutrients and water, providing disease resistance and allowing plants to access distant minerals bound to iron and calcium.
• A single teaspoon of soil can contain fungal hyphae that stretch up to a kilometer long.
• Mycorrhizal fungi can increase a plant's absorption capacity by an average of seven times, enabling growth with less water and reducing competition from weeds.

Learn about the importance of mycorrhizal fungi in increasing the absorption capacity of nutrients from the soil and how they benefit rhizobacteria.