3 Ways Mycorrhizal Fungi Deliver Bigger Yields and Deeper Roots

Every farmer wants the same things: healthy crops, strong roots, good market prices, and bins full of grain after harvest. But with challenging weather patterns, rising input costs, and stressed-out soils, hitting those targets takes more than seed and fertilizer, it takes biology.

That’s where arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF) come in. These naturally occurring soil organisms form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, providing massive agronomic benefits that synthetic inputs alone can’t replicate. If you’ve been wondering whether fungi are worth the investment, here are three clear, data-backed ways they contribute to bigger yields and more resilient root systems.

1. Fungi Increase Root Surface Area And That Means More Water and Nutrients

Root development is the foundation of any high-yielding crop. Yet conventional farming systems often overlook the role of beneficial fungi in root expansion. Mycorrhizal fungi colonize the roots and extend thread-like structures called hyphae far beyond the reach of root hairs. These hyphae can grow several inches out into the soil, absorbing phosphorus, zinc, copper, boron, sulfur, potassium, nitrogen and moisture from micropores that roots can’t access on their own.

In a detailed trial near Wood River, Nebraska, corn plants treated with mycorrhizal fungi showed significantly increased root development. Nodal root counts jumped from 37.6 (control) to 44.4 (fungi-treated), with notable improvements at the deeper root nodes 4 and 5 – precisely the roots that feed the plant during peak growth stages.

These improvements translate directly into real-world benefits:

• Better moisture capture during dry periods
  
• Enhanced access to nutrients during critical growth windows
  
• Increased overall plant stability and drought resilience
  

In other words, a better root system doesn’t just support higher yields, it protects them.

2. Colonized Plants Grow More Efficiently and Reach Maturity Faster

Yield isn’t just about how big the crop gets, it’s about how efficiently it develops and how much of its genetic potential it expresses. Mycorrhizal fungi give your crop a head start.

A V4-V5 corn trial showed that plants inoculated with MycoMaxx reached advanced growth stages faster than untreated controls. These early-stage plants had:

• More leaf collars exposed
  
• 12.5% to 39.4% larger leaf area
  
• Taller average plant height, with more uniform emergence
  

What does that mean in the field? It means those plants were more likely to:

• Pollinate successfully
  
• Fill out ears more completely
  
• Beat late-season stress
  
• Reach dry-down sooner
  

The earlier and more vigorously a crop grows, the more yield it can pack into its reproductive stages. And when fungi are part of the equation, that early vigor is amplified naturally through better nutrient and water access.

3. Bigger, Stronger Plants Withstand Stress Better

In agriculture, you don’t get to pick your weather. But you can choose crops that are biologically prepared to deal with it.

Fungi-treated plants not only grow bigger roots, they grow thicker stalks. In the Nebraska trial, corn with mycorrhizal treatment had stalks that were on average 6% thicker at key nodes. This increase in stalk diameter corresponds with more phloem and xylem tissues, which are critical for transporting water, sugars, and nutrients throughout the plant.

Thicker stalks mean:

• Less susceptibility to green snap
  
• Better standability at harvest
  
• Improved translocation of nutrients during grain fill
  

These are the kind of structural improvements that don’t always show up in a bag of seed or a jug of foliar feed. But they matter when a storm rolls through or a hot, dry week hits during pollination.

Real Yield Gains, Not Just Theories

In past seasons, hundreds of fields treated with AMF have yielded higher compared to untreated checks. There is a 96.4% win rate among these fields.  One grower even reported a jump from 280 bu/ac to 314 bu/ac in a high-performing hybrid after incorporating fungal inoculants.

Those numbers aren’t just impressive – they’re economically significant.

When you add fungi, you’re not replacing your agronomic program—you’re supercharging it. And in a time when every acre needs to pull its weight, that biological boost can mean the difference between a decent harvest and a record-setting one.

Plant Smarter, Not Harder

You already manage your fertilizer, population, irrigation, and scouting. Why not manage your biology too?

New Age Farming’s MycoMaxx product line contains a carefully formulated mix of eight mycorrhizal species, specifically designed to partner with crops like corn, soybeans, small grains, sunflowers, cotton, peanuts, dry beans, alfalfa, and sorghum. Whether you apply it in-furrow or as a seed treatment, the benefits start from the moment roots emerge and compound all season long.

With rising input costs, variable weather, and increasing pressure to maximize margins, your farm’s biology is too important to ignore. Fungi deliver stronger starts, deeper roots, and healthier crops from the ground up.

Sources 

• Petersen, Mike. “Trip Report of the VT Crop Stage Plots.” Soils Consultant Report, Wood River Interchange, 2022.
  
• Petersen, Mike. “Trip Report of the V4-V5 Crop Stage Plots.” Soils Consultant Report, Wood River Interchange, 2022.
  
• Field, K. J., et al. “The Role of Mycorrhizal Networks in Plant Nutrition.” New Phytologist, vol. 229, no. 1, 2021.
  

Soil Food Web School. “The Magnificent Mycorrhizal Fungi.” soilfoodweb.com.