A team at WSU Tri-Cities is researching a type of fungus that could replace chemical fertilizers in crops.
The team is working to see if applying inoculants that contain arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can help plants absorb light and water, said KC Cifizzari, biology graduate student. The team wants to reduce fertilizer use and provide alternative management strategies.
Using the fungi would not require growers to fertilize their crops every year, said Tanya Cheeke, assistant professor in WSU’s School of Biological Sciences. Once the fungi are added it would serve as a biofertilizer for the plants.
“One of the things about these fungi is that once you add them to the soil, as long as they’re not killed in some way, they are generally self-propagating,” Cifizzari said.