Bhat SA, Bashir O, Ul Haq SA, Amin T, Rafiq A, Ali M, Américo-Pinheiro JHP, Sher F (2022) Phytoremediation of heavy metals in soil and water: an eco-friendly, sustainable and multidisciplinary approach. Chemosphere 303:134788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134788 Rillig MC, Mummey DL (2006) Mycorrhizas and soil structure. New Phytol 171:41–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01750.x This is why it is so important to use rootgrow. Just 1 teaspoon can contain up to 5000 pieces of fungi all ready to explode into growth, colonising every millimetre of a plants roots in a matter of days. You et al. ( 2022) found that Cd uptake by P. australis is facilitated by different transporters, depending on the concentration of P in the substrate. Under low and medium P levels, Funneliformis mosseae upregulated the expression of ZIP genes, which facilitated Cd uptake. However, at high P levels, F. mosseae upregulated the expression of NRAMP genes, resulting in increased Cd uptake. These results underscore the interference of soil P in Cd uptake by plants. Furthermore, the regulation of Cd transporters via AM fungi is dependent on the specific fungal species. For instance, rice inoculated with R. intraradices exhibited reduced expression of NRAMP5 and HMA3 genes in roots, which prevented Cd uptake. Conversely, the expression of these genes in roots was increased when inoculated with F. mosseae (Chen et al. 2019). Similarly, in Solanum nigrum inoculated with R. intraradices, there was a reduction in Cd concentration in shoots. In contrast, Cd translocation was increased when inoculated with F. mosseae (Li et al. 2018). Motaharpoor et al. ( 2019) confirmed the downregulation of the NRAMP1 gene in M. sativa when inoculated with R. intraradices, resulting in reduced Cd concentration in shoots. AM fungi-facilitated Hg remediation: knowledge and perspectives Sabour MR, Zarrabi H, Hajbabaie M (2023) A systematic analysis of research trends on the utilization of life cycle assessment in pharmaceutical applications. Int J Environ Sci Technol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05103-4

Phosphorus is often in very short supply in natural soils. When phosphorus is present in insoluble forms it would require a vast root system for a plant tomeet its phosphorus requirements unaided. It is therefore thought that mycorrhizas are crucial in gathering this element in uncultivated soils. Phosphorus-rich fertilisers are widely used in cultivated ground and not only reduce the need for this activity but are thought to actually suppress the mycorrhizas. For this reason it is best not to use phosphorous rich fertilisers in conjunction with mycorrhizal fungi. Better uptake of fertilisers when applied 4-6 weeks after planting. (The network of mycorrhizal fungi act like a net catching nutrients and preventing leaching, especially with natural fertilisers) When planting bulbs or seeds, sprinkle a little of the mycorrhizal fungi into the soil or planting hole first You Y, Ju C, Wang L, Wang X, Ma F, Wang G, Wang Y (2022) The mechanism of arbuscular mycorrhizal enhancing cadmium uptake in Phragmites australis depends on the phosphorus concentration. J Hazard Mater 440:129800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129800

Q & A

Zhan F, Li B, Jiang M, Yue X, He Y, Xia Y, Wang Y (2018) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance antioxidant defense in the leaves and the retention of heavy metals in the roots of maize. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25:24338–24347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2487-z Rashid S, Shah IA, Supe Tulcan RX, Rashid W, Sillanpaa M (2022) Contamination, exposure, and health risk assessment of Hg in Pakistan: a review. Environ Pollut 301:118995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118995 Smolińska B, Król K (2012) Leaching of mercury during phytoextraction assisted by EDTA, KI and citric acid. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 87:1360–1365. https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.3826 Sharma SS, Dietz K-J, Mimura T (2016) Vacuolar compartmentalization as indispensable component of heavy metal detoxification in plants. Plant, Cell Environ 39:1112–1126. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.12706

Wang, B. & Qiu, Y. L. Phylogenetic distribution and evolution of mycorrhizas in land plants. Mycorrhiza 16, 299–363 (2006). Solís-Ramos LY, Coto-López C, Andrade-Torres A (2021) Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in remediation of anthropogenic soil pollution. Symbiosis 84:321–336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-021-00774-4 Pellitier, P. T. & Zak, D. R. Ectomycorrhizal fungi and the enzymatic liberation of nitrogen from soil organic matter: why evolutionary history matters. N. Phytol. 217, 68–73 (2018). I, Fajon V, Kotnik J, Shlyapnikov Y, Obu Vazner K, Begu E, Šestanović S et al (2019) Relations between mercury fractions and microbial community components in seawater under the presence and absence of probable phosphorus limitation conditions. J Environ Sci 75:145–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2018.03.012 Shi W, Zhang Y, Chen S, Polle A, Rennenberg H, Luo Z-B (2019) Physiological and molecular mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation in nonmycorrhizal versus mycorrhizal plants. Plant, Cell Environ 42:1087–1103. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.13471

Jump to

Lin, D. L., Xia, J. Y. & Wan, S. Q. Climate warming and biomass accumulation of terrestrial plants: a meta-analysis. N. Phytol. 188, 187–198 (2010). Sheathing fungi often send up fruiting bodies. These include the many toadstools commonly seen around trees that often alarm gardeners who mistake them for honey fungus

Bedini A, Mercy L, Schneider C, Franken P, Lucic-Mercy E (2018) Unraveling the initial plant hormone signaling, metabolic mechanisms and plant defense triggering the endomycorrhizal symbiosis behavior. Front Plant Sci 9:1800. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.01800 Motaharpoor Z, Taheri H, Nadian H (2019) Rhizophagus irregularis modulates cadmium uptake, metal transporter, and chelator gene expression in Medicago sativa. Mycorrhiza 29:389–395. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-019-00900-7

Useful extras...

Yang, K. et al. Supporting data for ‘Mycorrhizal type regulates tradeoffs between plant and soil carbon in forests’. Figshare https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23984409.v1 and https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23937600.v2 (2023). Wang J, Feng X, Anderson CWN, Qiu G, Ping L, Bao Z (2011) Ammonium thiosulphate enhanced phytoextraction from mercury contaminated soil – Results from a greenhouse study. J Hazard Mater 186:119–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.10.097

Smolińska B (2020) The influence of compost and nitrilotriacetic acid on mercury phytoextraction by Lepidium sativum L. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 95:950–958. https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.5970 Liu XS, Feng SJ, Zhang BQ, Wang MQ, Cao HW, Rono JK, Chen X, Yang ZM (2019) OsZIP1 functions as a metal efflux transporter limiting excess zinc, copper and cadmium accumulation in rice. BMC Plant Biol 19:283. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-019-1899-3

Advice on buying mycorrhizal fungi

Neither fungi nor plants could survive in many uncultivated situations without this mutually beneficial arrangement. Increased survival rate of plants especially specimen and bare root plants and plants that are difficult to establish. (The extended root system nourishes the plant from very early on in its life) Obrist D, Kirk JL, Zhang L, Sunderland EM, Jiskra M, Selin NE (2018) A review of global environmental mercury processes in response to human and natural perturbations: changes of emissions, climate, and land use. Ambio 47:116–140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-1004-9 Nagata T, Ishikawa C, Kiyono M, Pan-Hou H (2006) Accumulation of mercury in transgenic tobacco expressing bacterial polyphosphate. Biol Pharm Bull 29:2350–2353. https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.29.2350