One target of our focus at PSWCD is the mutually beneficial interactions that can occur between plants and microorganisms. The beneficial interactions improve plant growth in lieu of inorganic fertilizers. The cornerstone of these interactions is between mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots. The term mycorrhizae comes from the Greek words “myco” and rhizo “root” and literally means “fungus root.” The mycorrhizal fungus-plant root relationship is a symbiosis where both organisms benefit from the relationship.

In nature, the mycorrhizal association is the rule and not the exception. This statement is supported by several observations. One, more than 95% of the known plant families have been shown to have mycorrhizal associations, two, the association appears in fossils dating back 460 million years, and three, simple observation that in undisturbed conditions an overwhelming number of plants have mycorrhizal relationships.