A healthy, living soil is the basis for sustainable agriculture. Currently, the overuse of our soils is threatening the biodiversity of the microorganisms living in them, such as fungi and bacteria. With them, we are losing the most diverse and most important architects of our ecosystems. New and strong solutions are needed to preserve the soil ecosystem for future generations.

Soil fungi are nature’s recycling specialists. They play a key role in the carbon and nutrient cycles of our planet by decomposing biomass to produce CO₂ and providing important nutrients for the plants with which they live in symbiosis. The finely branched fungal filaments loosen the soil, increase its water retention capacity, and play a significant role in building up humus.

We are losing ground beneath our feet

Healthy soils are becoming increasingly rare. We use around half of the land available to us worldwide for agriculture and forestry. Modernising agriculture is therefore one of our greatest levers for halting the biodiversity crisis and preserving our ecosystems.

In order to rebuild healthy soils, soil-friendly cultivation methods and the support of fungi are needed. Fungi have been used in agriculture for some time. Fungal spores are applied to the fields, where they colonize the soil and are expected to support plant growth. We aim to use their abilities to enhance plant growth and reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides.

So far, only a few fungal strains have been used and are spread across continents. In many cases, it is difficult to trace their origin. It is already clear that introduced species can establish themselves more easily in new regions due to climate change and spread rapidly. In the case of animals and plants, this development is well documented. In the case of soil fungi, on the other hand, such observations are difficult, as there is still too little scientific data on their distribution.

Non-native fungi are often poorly adapted to local conditions and are therefore usually unable to deliver the expected results. Rather, they pose a threat to the existing soil ecosystem. Just as pesticides end up in our groundwater and on our plates, fungi applied to fields cannot be prevented from spreading. We are currently unable to assess what consequences the use of non-native microorganisms will have for our ecosystems. Based on the available data on the current application of mycorrhizal fungi, researchers have concluded that the current practice is at best a gamble, and at worst an ecological threat.¹

Regional soil fungi as beneficial organisms in agriculture

Nevertheless, the promotion of soil fungi has the potential to maintain healthy soils. According to the motto “think globally, act locally”, the use of native fungi as beneficial organisms in the field can transform the current system. To solve the problem, it is necessary to isolate individual fungi from the soil, characterise them using scientific methods, and apply them locally.

The use of these fungi increases the amount of mycelium in the soil. In addition to helping preserve an intact ecosystem, locally occurring fungi have the advantage that they are already adapted to the prevailing soil conditions and local climate. These fungi should not only support plants in the short term during the growing season, but also persist in the field throughout the winter.

It is up to us to raise awareness of the role of fungi. For many of the problems of our time, there is already a fungus out there that offers a solution. From the regeneration of our soils to the development of environmentally friendly building materials or modern biofuels, the use of fungi has great potential. Through sustainable cultivation and the the deliberate promotion of regional species, whether plants, animals, bacteria or fungi, we can work together to help protect the invisible world within our soils so that we can continue to learn from it in the future.

Further literature on the topic:

¹ Hart, M.M., Antunes, P.M., Chaudhary, V.B., Abbott, L.K. Fungal inoculants in the field: Is the reward greater than the risk?. Functional Ecology. 2018. 32:126-135.

Averill, C., Anthony, M.A., Valerian, P. et al. Defending Earth's terrestrial microbiome. Nature Microbiology. 2022. 7:1717-1725.

Cavicchioli, R., Ripple, W.J., Timmis, K.N. et al. Scientists’ warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change. 2019. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 17:569-586.