A mutualistic association called mycorrhiza involves a fungus colonising the roots of a plant, assisting in the uptake of minerals and water.
A group of researchers investigated how mycorrhizal fungi affect the uptake of copper in tomato plants.
Both mrtmrtmrt mutant and wild-type plants were grown in controlled conditions. Half of the plants of each group were inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi, while the other half were not. After 30 days, the dry shoot biomass and total copper content of the plants were measured.
The results are summarised in the table below:
| Plant type | Mycorrhizal fungus added | Dry shoot mass (g pot−1\text{g pot}^{-1}g pot−1) | Copper content (μg plant−1\mu\text{g plant}^{-1}μg plant−1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| mrtmrtmrt mutant | No | 1.15±0.121.15 \pm 0.121.15±0.12 | 3.40±0.253.40 \pm 0.253.40±0.25 |
| mrtmrtmrt mutant | Yes | 2.10±0.182.10 \pm 0.182.10±0.18 | 5.85±0.455.85 \pm 0.455.85±0.45 |
| Wild type | No | 4.80±0.224.80 \pm 0.224.80±0.22 | 9.50±0.609.50 \pm 0.609.50±0.60 |
| Wild type | Yes | 4.10±0.354.10 \pm 0.354.10±0.35 | 8.20±0.858.20 \pm 0.858.20±0.85 |
The researchers concluded that the addition of mycorrhizal fungi fully compensated for the reduced root system in the mutant tomato plants.
Evaluate this conclusion using the data provided.
