PLOS Biology: The redness of the plant indicates that the fungus is growing on the roots

Almost all crop plants are in contact with a special type of fungus called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the soil, which greatly expands their root surface area

The more nutrients that plants naturally obtain, the less artificial fertilizers they need

In a study published in the journal Public Library of Science Biology, researchers used the bright red pigment of beet roots-betaine-to visually track soil fungi as they settle on the roots of living plants

"We can now track how the relationship between fungi and plant roots develops in real time, from the moment they come into contact

To achieve their results, the researchers designed two model plants-a legume and a tobacco plant-so that when arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are present in their roots, they can produce highly visible beets Alkaline pigments

These plants are then planted in a transparent structure so that the root system can be seen, and images of the root system can be taken with a flatbed scanner without disturbing the plants

Using their technique, researchers can select the red part of the root system to observe the fungus more closely, as it enters a single plant cell and forms a complex tree-like structure called arbuscular branches that grow on the roots of the plant

There are other ways to visualize this process, but these methods include digging out and killing plants, using chemicals or expensive microscopes

"This is an exciting new tool that can visualize this process, as well as other important plant processes

Mycorrhizal fungi have attracted more and more interest in agriculture

Understanding and using the dynamics of fungus colonization in plant roots has the potential to increase future crop yields in an environmentally sustainable way

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