June 2010. A student at the University of the South Pacific, Samoa, is doing a research project on mychorrhizae on atoll crops. The question asked was about the sustainability of introduced crops to the adverse soil conditions of atolls: is there any information available on the mychorrhizae on sand dune crops or if any nutrient analyses have been done on atoll soils in relation to their adaptability as agriculture crops.

In response, a member working on Jatropha in Vietnam mentioned the beneficial results obtained when growing Jatropha on poor, sandy soil in one of the driest provinces after inoculation with mychorrhizae.

Another member mentioned the interest of The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited in mychorrizae, focussing on ectomycorryizae, particularly with a view to the commercial production of exotic mushrooms such as porcini; the group is moving into studying the interactions and successions of ectomycorryizae on tree roots. At Lincoln University there is another team working on endomycorhizae.