Over the past few decades, the growing body of research on mycorrhizal
fungi has been exploring their roles in maintaining and enhancing a wide range of
ecosystem functions. These functions include, and are not limited to, maintenance of
soil health, plant nutrition, removing hazardous contaminants from soil, prevention of
soil erosion, and suppressing pathogens in the soil. As a result, mycorrhizae offer great
potential as ecosystem engineers, capable of meeting various objectives of sustainable
agriculture, forestry, ecological restoration, and biodiversity conservation. In this
chapter, we attempt to offer an insight into the fascinating world of such mutualistic
interaction, some of the benefits it offers to our planet, some of its industrial
applications, and why it is imperative to integrate mycorrhizae into discussions for a
more sustainable future. We consider various types of mycorrhizae present in our
ecosystems and their defining features and differences. After all, we discuss some of
the major roles they play in ecosystem functioning. We then explore a few facets of
their industrial importance in biofertilization and phytoremediation, which are
increasingly recognized globally. We also discuss the issues that hinder the full-fledged
utilization of such a mutualistic interaction. In conclusion, we will look at new avenues
of research that mycorrhizal research is poised to explore. This chapter will give the
readers a holistic view of the exciting world of plant-fungal mutualism and trigger them
to explore the growing body of work probing into such fascinating members of our
ecosystems.
Keywords: Ecological Restoration, Mutualism, Mycorrhizal Technology, Soil Fertility, Symbiosis.
