Lesson 22: The Good Fungi
Once, in a moment of discouragement, a colleague was heard to say: "The only good fungus is a dead fungus." While empathizing with his plight, you knew that this statement was false. There are many beneficial fungi; most are "decomposers" that function in breaking down organic residues that would otherwise bury the planet in debris. Then, at a turfgrass conference, you learned about another type of beneficial fungus called an "endophyte." The speaker talked about fungi that , because of their symbiotic association with host plants, impart certain qualities to those plants such as greater drought, insect and disease resistance than would otherwise occur. Pest control without pesticides was an appealing prospect. As you reflected on this presentation, you began to consider the following questions:
What to do...
In this lesson you will review information on Fungal Endophytes.When you are finished going through the lesson, access the Lesson 22 Quiz. You can take the quiz up to 5 times. Practice! The questions are just like those you will find on the exams.