Enhancing crop nutrient use efficiency with symbiotic fungi

Overview

This innovative solution leverages root fungal symbionts to enhance crop nutrient use efficiency (NUE). These endophytic (EN) fungi, which live inside plant roots without causing disease, improve nutrient acquisition by making nutrients more bioavailable. This reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, offering a sustainable and efficient alternative. EN fungi can colonize a wide range of plants and are resilient to disturbances, making them ideal for agricultural use.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• Colonize diverse host plants without causing disease
• Convert unavailable nutrients to bioavailable forms
• Resilient septate hyphae that regrow after disturbance
• Proven to significantly enhance nitrogen use efficiency, achieving over 60% in greenhouse trials with switchgrass

Applications:

• Suitable for use with both synthetic and organic fertilizers
• Potential for broad commercial use as a bioinoculant across a range of economically important crops

Technology readiness level

This technology is currently at TRL 4, with successful greenhouse trials demonstrating significant improvements in nutrient use efficiency. Future validation will involve field trials to confirm benefits across various crops, with completion expected within 1-1.5 years.