The Economic Potential of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Agriculture

In the past decade, there has been a tremendous increase in the amount of enterprises producing fungal biotechnology products and services. Specifically, there have been great gains in the amount of industries focusing on mycorrhizal fungal technologies and associated products and services for the garden and landscaping retail sector, commercial agriculture, horticulture, and nursery markets. The remarkable growth in this arena can be attributed to the expanding bodies of research detailing the effects of mycorrhizal fungi, and more specifically arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), on plant yields, augmented nutrition uptake, and enhanced abiotic and biotic resistance. This evidence has propelled greater awareness by end users of mycorrhizal technology along with growing recognition that microbial products can be used as a more eco-friendly, safer, cost-effective, and sustainable option for agriculture. Some of the challenges facing the mycorrhizal inoculant industry include the need to customize products, limited market awareness, and proactive distribution to meet the needs of a diverse customer base ranging from hobby gardeners, businesses, commercial growers, and governments. All of these clients require differing pre- and post-sales support systems, such as education on the appropriate mycorrhizal formulation, application options, and knowledge on the respective host plants and aftercare. While there is increasing awareness of the benefits of mycorrhizal technology, inefficient production, limited marketing, distribution, and customer outreach continue to hamper mainstream adoption.