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Commercial Mycorrhizal Inoculation Of Non-Sterile Field Soil Does Not Enhance Colonization Or Reduce Nitrate Leaching, Madelyn Schoenberger
Commercial Mycorrhizal Inoculation Of Non-Sterile Field Soil Does Not Enhance Colonization Or Reduce Nitrate Leaching, Madelyn Schoenberger
Student Research, Papers, and Creative Works
A short-term microcosm experiment was conducted to investigate whether inoculation of corn plants with commercial mycorrhizal fungus can reduce nitrate leaching from soil. Nitrate leaching presents issues for agricultural yields and crop nutrition as well as for nutrient cycling and ecological stability. Mycorrhizal fungi form a mutually beneficial symbiosis with most terrestrial plants wherein the fungus provides nutrients for the plant and receives organic compounds in return. This symbiosis can increase plant nutrient uptake from soil and may be useful for ecological remediation of nitrogen pollution.