Literature Review Reveals Inconsistent Performance of Mycorrhizal Inoculants

Scientists at the University of Kansas performed a literature review analyzing 302 trials on the performance of microbial inoculants. The results, published online in New Phytologist, show that only one in nine commercial mycorrhizal inoculant product trials demonstrated both beneficial crop growth and sufficient arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal colonization. Researchers concluded that, frequently, improved crop growth was due to other additives in the commercial product, rather than mycorrhizal root colonization. Testing showed that commercial mycorrhizal inoculants were often non-viable, or contained just a single strain of fungus. The analysis notes that even viable products had low symbiotic potential, leading scientists to recommend mandatory global regulation on product quality control.