July 2021 issue

Volume 66, Issue 7

Some plants thrive in inhospitable places, and it's not a matter of sheer adaptation—it turns out the fungal endophytes living within their tissues are the key. Rusty Rodriguez, CEO of Adaptive Symbiotic Technologies, discusses the journey of discovery that led to the development of their commercial fungal endophyte inoculant to help crops tolerate abiotic stresses. The research and discoveries pushed by Rodriguez and his colleagues are a step forward in harnessing the microbiome to benefit plant health and improve our food security. See story on p. 3. Cover photo shows Rodriquez applying his company's commercial fungal endophyte inoculant to a field.