Question

why are fungi called beneficial enemies

Answer 1

Fungi are helpful to us in the products they produce but may also be harmful for the diseases they cause.

Helpful fungi may be edible

Portabella mushroomsButton cap mushroomsShitake mushroomsWhere I live, people search for sponge fungi or morels

Helpful fungi may produce products we can use

Yeast makes our bread riseFermentation creates beers, wines, other alcoholic beverages and ethanol as a gasoline additiveSoy sauceSome of the stinky cheeses people enjoy

Answer 2

The fungi, called mycorrhizal fungi, live inside and outside root cells and help them reach for nutrients by extending long threads called hyphae into the soil. The plant, in exchange, provides the fungi glucose and possibly other organic materials that they need to survive. Unfortunately, modern agricultural practices have reduced populations of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, the most common type.