PubMed · 2026-04-13
A soil fungus naturally found in salt-tolerant coastal plants can be applied to corn seedlings to help them survive salty soils, boosting growth by up to 45% under high-salt conditions by reprogramming the plant's internal chemistry.
Corn seedlings inoculated with the fungus grew 25% heavier, 45% taller, and had 16% longer roots under high-salt stress (250 mM NaCl) compared to untreated salt-stressed plants.
The fungus boosted the potassium-to-sodium ratio in corn shoots and roots by 45% and 68% respectively, directly reducing the toxic buildup of sodium inside plant tissues.
Even without salt stress, the fungus improved corn seedling fresh weight by 13%, plant height by 9%, and root length by 19% by activating plant growth hormone pathways.
