Summary: The following article provides brief information about the benefits of Mycorrhizae. Incorporate these organisms into your production, and you may see improved plant growth and reduced nutritional deficiencies and benefits to the end-user.
Mycorrhizae are soil fungi that benefit in different ways. Healthy soil is essential for a water-wise landscape. It has organic matter, drainage, and plant nutrients that contribute to the soil and plants' fertility and health.
Mycorrhizae describes a mutualistic association between fungus and plant roots in almost all plants. The plant helps the fungus by providing carbohydrates needed for fungal growth, while the fungus helps the plant by increasing its root surface area. Potential Benefits of Mycorrhizae:
Enhanced water and nutrient uptake
Reduction of irrigation requirements
Reduction of the need for fertilizer
Increased drought resistance
Increased pathogen resistance
Increased plant health and stress tolerance
Higher transplanting success
There are many types of mycorrhizal soil fungus. Most plants naturally have mycorrhizae and may not advantages from the addition of mycorrhizal fungi. However, in cases where plants are transplanted from or into sterile soil, adding mycorrhizal fungi has the benefit.
Growers who use soilless growing media that endo mycorrhizae typically cater to the fertility and watering needs of the plant and therefore see fewer benefits. However, if any stress impacts the crop, endomycorrhizal will help the plant endure the stress and delay any symptoms that come with the stress. These benefits include:
Reduced nutritional deficiencies. Endo mycorrhizae mine the growing medium to efficiently bring nutrients to the plant where plant roots are not present. This delays nutrient deficiency and their visual symptoms from appearing.
Potential reduction in fertilizer use. Since endomycorrhizal mines out the growing medium for fertilizer elements, it is possible to reduce fertilizer application rates.
Delayed wilting. Endo mycorrhizae acquire water from the growing medium where plant roots may not access it, which delays wilting from water stress.
Improved growth.
Efficient acquisition of nutrients helps the plant maintain its optimal growing rate longer, so top growth and root growth are not compromised. Resistance to salt toxicity. Endo mycorrhizae fungi have been found to protect plants from high salt and micronutrient toxicities.
Reduced root disease attack. Endomycorrhizal fungi help reduce the effects of stress on plants, making them less susceptible to attack by root rot pathogens. Not only does endomycorrhizal serve as competition to root rot pathogens by being present on plant roots. Consuming root exudates (such as carbohydrates) cause the cell walls of the cortex to thicken, making pathogen penetration more difficult.
The homeowner and landscaper have more variables when improving plants outdoors, including weather, watering, fertilization, and soil quality. These variables can introduce the potential for tremendous plant stress and therefore have more significant benefits from endomycorrhizal fungi.
Install new plants help can be incorporated directly into the soil. Still, if the plant is colonized in the growing medium, the roots will continue the colonization even after transplanting the plan. The advantage seen by the landscaper and homeowner is the same potentially seen the by the grower and also includes the following:
Most mineral soils contain mycorrhizal fungi but are often too low for adequate colonization, especially in disturbed soils (tilled fields, gardens, landscapes, new housing, etc.). In addition, the fungi have specific and will only colonize certain plants, so there are no native mycorrhizae in some soils that will advantage the plants. Therefore, most plants would benefit from mycorrhizae addition to the soil.
Resistance to Transplant Shock
Endomycorrhizal fungi help in establishing quickly in soil environments, unlike roots. Therefore people can ease transplant shock by offering water and nutrients to the plant and serving as a buffer to assist the plant in adjusting to its soil environment.
Increased Fruit and Flowers
Since plants grow at their excellent rate with endomycorrhizal due to reduced stress effects, edibles have the ability and resources to produce more vegetables/fruit per plant and or larger vegetables/fruit. In addition, flowering plants often produce more flowers. Overall, plants have a more extensive when grown with endomycorrhizal fungi, primarily if plants are grown in poor quality, low fertility soils.
Endo mycorrhizae assist plants by enhancing plant nutrient and water uptake, reducing environmental stresses, and improving plants' overall growth. Numerous studies have demonstrated advantages for plants used for land reclamation, landscape installations, home gardening, fruit and vegetable crops, and growers of greenhouse/nursery crops. These benefits can improve efficiencies in plant production and reduce plant production costs for growers.