How fungi is essential to the future of agriculture

Full article issued by The University of Southern Queensland.

ARC-supported research at The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) is investigating how fungi can assist an agricultural plants’ resistance to insect pests.

Ecologist Dr Adam Frew from USQ has been awarded a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) of $453,582 to further his work into using fungi to enhance plant resistance to insects.

'We’re looking into how the diversity of beneficial fungi in soil is impacted by agricultural management and how fungi can affect plant defences,' Dr Frew said.

'If we understand these interactions better, we are closer to being able to use the fungi to help crop plants access soil nutrients and defend themselves from attack.'

'This may mean we can reduce fertiliser and pesticide inputs, which can be damaging to soil biology, thus ensuring the sustainability of crop production into the future.'

The research project is one of 200 announced in August 2021, with a total of $83 million in funding provided through the ARC’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award scheme. 

 

Ecologist Dr Adam Frew has been awarded $453,582 to further his work into using fungi to enhance plant resistance to insects. Image: USQ photography.