Microbe management: application of mycorrhyzal fungi in sustainable agriculture

ing in the rhizosphere for decades, in the form of plant growth-promoting microorganisms. Efforts to incorporate microbial management into mainstream practices have not been successful. In fact, the same practices that increased yields in the last 50 years (namely fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides) have largely eradicated natural rhizosphere microbes in agrosystems (Matson et al. 1997) and may prevent introduced beneficial populations from establishing in agricultural soils. One particularly widespread and beneficial group of rhizosphere microbes, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), has yet to be fully utilized in agriculture, despite its substantial influence on plant productivity. New research suggests that AMF have multiple ecosystem functions and are an ideal tool in any field where plants and their communities are manipulated, including sustainable agriculture, landscape restoration, and horticulture, among others. However, the same research also points to gaps in our understanding of AMF functions. The practical use of AMF and other microbes will not progress until these issues are addressed. Why use microorganisms?