The Soil Biology Library: Key Reads from Wendy Taheri, PhD

January 15, 2018 by Wendy Taheri, Ph.D.

"Fungal Assets" by Wendy Taheri, Ph. D.

Most flowering plants are dependent upon AM fungi and grow poorly in their absence. This dependency varies greatly between species and even between varieties of the same species. Soil conditions, particularly the amount of inorganic phosphorus, also influence mycorrhizal dependency in a specific environment. In general, grasses tend to be more dependent upon AM fungi than some of the other plant groups.

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"Phosphorus: A Limited Resource" by Wendy Taheri, Ph. D.

Phosphorus is an element meaning there is a phosphorus atom. It can be neither destroyed nor created. The amount that exists on this planet is all we have. When we remove crops from the field we remove the phosphorus those plants took up.

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"Role of AM Fungi in Agricultural Ecosystems" by Wendy Taheri, Ph. D.

AM fungi are plant symbionts. Symbiotic organisms are generally interdependent upon one another. In the case of AM fungi and plants, it is an obligate relationship for the fungi. The degree of plant dependency upon these organisms varies widely and some plants are unable to live without them, while others are completely non-mycorrhizal and do not act as hosts for AM fungi.

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Wendy Taheri, Ph.D.

A microbial ecologist who is transforming the world of agriculture by developing microbe-based, sustainable solutions to replace and reduce the plethora of toxic chemicals and environmentally-damaging practices currently used in conventional agriculture. Because of her background in Environmental Ecology, she understands the synergistic effects that occur in healthy ecosystems and is applying them to broad-scale agriculture. Her research focuses on harnessing the power of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and other beneficial microbes. Her research has broad-ranging, practical applications that are not only more profitable for farmers but also have the potential to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and aquatic dead zones while increasing the sustainability and quality of our food and fiber supply chains.