A Guide to 3 Major Branches of Mycology
Introduction
Mycology, in the simplest terms, is the scientific study of fungi. However, the term “fungi” is a term that can describe many different living beings, from a single-celled organism to a complex structure like a mushroom. Naturally, the field of study is broad, with many branches. Each of these branches can be categorized by their focus and applications. In this blog, we will explore three of the major branches: plant pathology, field mycology, and applied mycology.
Plant pathology is the branch of mycology that focuses on the study of plant diseases caused by fungi. This branch aims to understand the interactions between fungi and plants, as well as the mechanisms behind plant diseases. This branch has grown in importance due to the impact that fungi can have on crop production, both positive and negative. Certain species of fungi exist that cause disease and significant crop losses, so controlling their spread is of great importance. Yet beneficial fungi species also exist, like mycorrhizal fungi, which can help plants to absorb nutrients and minerals from soil, thereby increasing productivity.
By Department of Plant Pathology Archive North Carolina State University - USDA Forest Service, http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1525471, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12089927
Field mycology is a subsection of field biology. The primary focus of a field biologist specializing in mycology is to locate, collect, study, and identify fungal life found in nature. Their observations are usually recorded in databases that can be used by researchers from other branches of mycology, like fungal taxonomists, who might employ the use of DNA sequencing technology to arrange identified fungi into a phylogenetic tree. A mycologist working in the branch mentioned above, plant pathology, might draw on a field mycology database to trace the known locations of disease-causing fungal species.
Hypholoma fasciculare photo by Bashira Muhammad
Applied mycology describes the area of mycology that is concerned with the use of fungi for practical applications in various fields, such as agriculture, medicine, biotechnology, and food science. Applied mycologists both research and deploy fungi as a utility. For example, the mission of Zoom Out Mycology is to drive sustainability with fungi. We strive towards this goal in multiple ways including mushroom tea manufacturing and fungi culturing. For one project in applied mycology we cultivated an insect attacking fungus known as Metarhizium robertsii for a client in Southern Oregon who needed help managing a tick infestation.
Metarhizium culture produced by Zoom Out Mycology
References:
Zhou & May, 2022. “Fungal taxonomy: current status and research agenda for the interdisciplinary and globalization era.” Mycology. https://doi.org/10.1080/21501203.2022.2103194
Gilbert, Lawrence, ed. (2005). Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science. Elsevier.
“What Is Phytopathology or Plant Pathology?” The American Phytopathological Society (APS). https://www.apsnet.org/about/Pages/WhatisPhytopathology.aspx
“Field Mycology & Conservation.” British Mycological Society. https://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/field_mycology