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Mycorrhizal fungi colonize cotton roots and stimulate plant growth by absorbing minerals from the soil. These beneficial fungi can be adversely affected by metam-sodium, a soil-applied general biocide frequently used for weed control in cotton. Although metam-sodium also kills disease-causing fungi that reduce cotton stands, the advantages of pest control with metam-sodium must be weighed against added fertilizer costs needed to offset the loss of mycorrhizae.