BEIJING/SYDNEY: As global temperatures rise over the coming decades, crop loss caused by pathogenic soil fungi is likely to significantly increase, potentially costing growers billions of dollars and threatening international food security, research revealed on Tuesday (May 12).
The study sampled a variety of ecosystems, ranging from forests and croplands to deserts in 235 locations, concluding that as the temperature of both soil and air progressively rises over the next 30 years, it will favour the growth of pathogenic soil fungi species.