Fungi PART 2 How Fungi Affect Other Organisms

Fungi and Disease Some fungi damage or completely destroy crops. The fungi that cause Dutch elm disease and Chestnut blight can kill these trees. They are highly prized for their beauty and wood.

Fungi and Disease Gardeners and farmers spend millions of dollars per year on fungus-killing substances called fungicides.

Fungi and Disease One fungus that grows on stored grains produces the toxin, aflatoxin - a very powerful cancer causing substance. To grow, this fungus needs moisture. What might farmers due to prevent this fungal growth?

Fungi And Disease That’s right! Farmers need to thoroughly dry crops such as peanuts or corn before they are stored!

Fungi and Disease Another fungus replaces grains of rye with hard, spiky poisonous growths known as ergot.

Fungus and Disease If you eat grain products containing ergot you may experience burning or prickling sensations, hallucinations, and convulsions.

Fungi and Disease Some historians believe that the witchcraft trials in Salem, Massachusetts, may have been due to the strange symptoms of ergot poisoning.

Fungi And Disease Some plant-eating pests such as gypsy moth caterpillars, mites, and aphids can be killed by deliberately infecting them with fungi. These fungal pesticides are cheap, effective, and safe for the environment. Gypsy moth caterpillar

Fungi and Disease Plants get help from some fungal diseases from other fungi. Helpful fungi coat the roots of about 80% of the world’s plants. These helpful fungi are called mycorrhizae.

Fungi and Disease The helpful fungi spread their hyphae throughout the soil,and increase their host’s ability to gather nutrients about 10 times or more! These fungus-root associations protect plants from drought, cold, acid rain, and root diseases caused by other fungi.