The Hidden Helpers Living Inside the Plants at Molelwane Farm

Abstract

At Molelwane Farm in Mafikeng, South Africa, plants were growing quietly in the field. To the farmer, a plant is something visible: leaves reaching for sunlight, roots holding it in the soil, and eventually a harvest. But what if some of the plant's most important helpers could not be seen at all? Inside healthy plants, scientists can find communities of microorganisms known as endophytes. These bacteria live within plant tissues without necessarily causing disease. Some can form beneficial relationships with their host plants and contribute to plant growth.