Mycorrhizal Fungi and Phosphates

In soils with low solution phosphorus concentration and high phosphate fixation, slow diffusion may seriously limit the ability of roots to obtain sufficient phosphorus. The hyphae of symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi help overcome this problem. The fungi "explore" the much larger volume of soil than even fines root hairs can, absorb the available phosphate ions, and by cytoplasmic streaming inside the hyphae, transport phosphates to the host plant. This makes the plant much less dependent on the diffusion of phosphate ions through the soil.