A helper fungus may fill mycorrhizae's gap in cabbage crops
Eugui D, Velasco P, Poveda J
Soil Health
If you grow broccoli, kale, cabbage, or mustard greens, you're tending plants that skip the underground fungal partnerships most other garden vegetables rely on, so this fungus offers a rare compatible ally for healthier soil and stronger plants.
Most plants team up with underground fungi called mycorrhizae, trading sugar for extra water and nutrients, but the cabbage family (broccoli, kale, mustard, and their kin) mostly can't form that partnership. This review rounds up what scientists know about a different helpful fungus, Trichoderma, which can colonize cabbage-family roots, fend off disease-causing microbes, and help the plants handle drought and other stress. The catch is that these fungal products don't always work consistently once you get them into a real field or garden.
Key Findings
Brassica crops (cabbage, broccoli, kale, mustard, canola) largely lack associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, unlike most other crop plants.
Trichoderma fungi can colonize Brassica roots, modulate plant defense pathways, improve nutrient uptake, and increase tolerance to abiotic stresses like drought.
Field deployment of Trichoderma bioinoculants faces challenges including strain specificity, formulation limitations, and inconsistent performance under real-world conditions.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Cabbage and its relatives can't team up with the mycorrhizal fungi that help most plants absorb nutrients, so scientists are reviewing evidence that a different fungus, Trichoderma, can step in as a beneficial partner, boosting growth and helping fend off disease.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Plant-microbe interactions between Trichoderma and Brassica vegetables: Biostimulatory activity, biological control and molecular perspectives.
Brassica crops are among the most economically important vegetable and oilseed plants worldwide, providing food and industrial resources. However, most Brassica species show limited or absent assoc...
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