(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)

Symbiotic fungi are all the rage right now. Farmers want them in their fields, gardeners want them in veggie patches and flowerbeds. The excitement has given rise to a billion-dollar mycorrhizae market, but many products don’t deliver on their promises. Come visit the world’s biggest collection of these fungi to learn what makes them so great — and why you should think twice before buying them.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• News article: Soil health is big business, but KU researchers say many fungal products don't work as promised
• Scientific journal article: A.B. Frank and mycorrhizae
• The AM fungi collection at KU website

This episode of Up From Dust was written, reported and mixed by Celia Llopis-Jepsen, with editing by Mackenzie Martin and Stephen Koranda.