After reviewing last month’sGardenShedarticle on mycorrhizal fungi , I sat down at the PC and start doing a little Christmas shopping for my Bridget ; what a more fitting gift than a couple of pounds of fungi to add to the garden . After gleaning a little general data from last month ’s article on the benefits of mycorrhizal fungus to plants include how the fungus :
I know it will be the perfect and unexpected gift-“the natural endowment that keep on giving ” . If you somehow missed reading last calendar month ’s article , Mycorrhizae Part 1 or if you wish to brush up the introduction to this favorable alley , go back to the2015 November Garden Shedissue .
I ’m sure this will be theperfect giftand a little personal computer search revealed there must be a zillion fungus products on the market claiming to be the silver-tongued bullet , the reparation all , from increasing crop production to equip the plant life with a Kevlar undershirt to protect your plant from an U. S. Army of pathogens . Yes , I know it ’s theholiday time of year , the gift season , but being more or less of afrugal nurseryman , I require to do a piffling more research before I pull the trigger and throw a few Pearl Sydenstricker Buck on a economical purchase .
My first footprint is to determine what “ variety ” of mycorrhizal would benefit the veg garden . There are two types of mycorrhizal fungi that I had to choose from : ectomycorrhiza and endomycorrhiza . The ectomycorrhiza group includes century of fungal species associate with shrub and trees , such as true pine , birch tree , hemlock and oak . These fungi , extend the aerofoil roots with a mantel . I can exclude the ectomycorrhiza as a option for the veg garden . ( now if I was planting Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that would be a different story ) . ( Brady )
The next type endomycorrhiza with the most important fellow member or this group beingarbuscular mycorrhiza fungi ( AMF).When forming AMF , fungal hyphae ( microscopic thin strings ) actually penetrate the cortical root mobile phone walls and once inside the plant cadre , form small highly fork-like structure called arbuscules . These social organization serve to transfer mineral nutrients from the fungi to host plants and sugars from the flora to the fungus . Most native and agriculture crops can form good relations with AMF . I now have my fungi variety pick out for the veg garden . ( Brady )
My second step is to determine if my vegetable garden would benefit from anarbuscular mycorrhizal fungus ( AMF)inoculant treatment . Numerous studiesat Penn Statehave shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi ( AMF ) can supply verbatim benefits to host crops , pass to increased crop output . As it turn out AMF can have a positive effect on most harvest with the elision of spinach andbrassicas such as broccoli and cabbage . A research labor deport by the University of California concluded thatorganic tomato plantsinfected with AMF out execute non - septic plants . A potato research projectat Texas A&M found thatpotatoestreated with AMF increased phosphorus , smoothing iron and magnesium uptake , greater water uptake , as well as enhanced disease resistance , leave in greater craw proceeds .
One of the matter for ascertain the motivation for AMF in any position is they are microscopical and they occur in well-nigh all - natural and farming soil and promptly colonize on many flora metal money . Herein lies a trouble . The research articles reviewed often used potted plants with a sterile soil assortment or in theater of operations site where the native AMF population were very abject . Sites were selected where soils were subjugate to broad - spectrum fumigation or the soils that had been drastically disturbed such as subsoil layers being brought to the surface during structure bodily function and soils that had been left bare ( fallow ) for long periods of sentence . In those case of situations plants inoculated with AMF out perform the plants that were not inoculated . ( Brady )
In healthy biologically active soils niggling difference was mark between AMF inoculate plants and non - inoculated plant . One potential reason proposed that in soils with sufficient phosphorus floor , the plant was able to supply their pauperization without the symbiotic relations of the fungi and thus did not make a relationship . ( Brady )
Well , as it wrench out , land in anatural settingare full of good soil organisms include mycorrhizal fungi . soil that are high in constitutional matter , well drained , modest to restrained phosphoric levels and minimally till , commonly have a healthy and abundant electronic internet of mycorrhizal fungi . ( adhesive plaster )
Fungicide app can toss off mycorrhizal fungus kingdom . In addition , frequent tilling pause apart the fungous web cut back their effectiveness and in high spirits phosphorus level render the fungi useless . All of a sudden that imaginativeness of last spring ’s finely tilled semen bed was not such a fond retentiveness , not to mention the numerous trips to the garden in the belated spring and summer to chop and till all those weeds , and the later fall till to put the garden to bed , OUCH ! ( Plaster )
Did I mention that I never aim around to institute a cover harvest last capitulation ? That did n’t help oneself the mycorrhizal universe in my garden either , as uncover soil ( fallow ) can reduce mycorrhizal populations . recall , mycorrhizal fungi reckon on host plants for their nutrition , thus planting a book binding harvest can help to maintain their population . ( Brady )
One method of find if my stain has an adequate universe of mycorrhizal fungi is by performing a soil trial run . However , it requires a biological exam not a chemical substance test , that valuate pH grade , phosphate , potassium , magnesium levels and other chemical prop . An on-line lookup on “ grunge biology tests ” revealed numerous commercial research lab that do the psychometric test . The price ranges from $ 100-$400 sawbuck depending on the lab and the number of biological critters you wish to be identified . The second option is to do a hardheaded trial run next outflow , such as address potatoe , tomato , pepper and lettuce harvest with mycorrhizal fungus and supervise the difference between the inoculated and the non - inoculated crop . If the inoculate plants are more fertile than untreated plants , then it becomes obvious . I have a mycorrhizal fungus kingdom deficiency in my garden .
I recall see inoculants listed in various chain armor order seed catalog and online seed catalogs , so I am just a mouse click away from the sodding talent . Could this be any easy ? A trip to one of my best-loved on-line catalogs and a quick search on inoculum and I was done . I was able to site the inoculant product on the first click . My quick search leave in several choices : one for peas , lentil and vetch , a second choice for soybeans , and third choice “ a combination ” for peas beans , vetch and more . That is when the scarlet flag give-up the ghost up . I had just learn a issue that AMF can have a “ positive essence on most crops ” . The seed catalogue enjoin nothing about tomato , corn , and peppers or bring up to any other crop other than legume crops . Hummm , what ’s the deal ?
After doing a lilliputian enquiry , it turn out thatlegumeinoculants and AMF are wholly different , legume inoculants are a form of bacteria and AMF , well they are a variety of fungi and play an entirely different roll when they imprint symbiotic human relationship with plants . ( Plaster )
Legumes have the ability to form mutually good carnal knowledge with sure land bacterium of the eccentric or geniusRhizoba . The benefit to the flora is that these bacterium can take ( fix ) N from the air found in soil air spaces and make it available to the plant via symbiotic nitrogen fixation . The amount of N fix can meet the needs of the plant and leave nitrogen in the soil for the keep an eye on crop . Mycorrhizal fungus kingdom ( AMF ) aid the plant by foraging for water and food in the soil .
Why the leguminous plant inoculants option in the seed catalogue ? Well , it appears that Rhizoba bacterium are picky trivial critters and are jolly specific about which leguminous plant species they will pick out as a host to mould nodules . So if you are take legume inoculants it ’s important to select the right type for your legume . ( Plaster )
Now that I have determined that leguminous plant inoculum and AFM inoculants are two different critter , a quick on-line search for mycorrhizal ( AFM ) ware result in locating legion product on the market . Digging a minuscule deep I discovered that Cornell University has performednumerous research studieson a mycorrhizal nisus , Trichoderma barzianumstrain T-22 sold under the deal name of T-22 .
The studies at Cornell University resolve that this strain ( T-22 ) of mycorrhizal fungi increase industrial plant growth and yield by increase nutrient uptake and plant food efficiency . The flora increased drought tolerance was attribute to increased radical growth in the regale plants . In accession , according to Cornell , T-22 was shown to play as a biocontrol forcertain plant life disease : love apple transplants treated with T-22 at the startle of the growing time of year were substantially less susceptible to early blight than the untreated industrial plant .
Now back to my AMF experiment , I must be open-eyed in designing my AMF experimentation by take the same veg cultivar for my test , because last outcome may vary as not all vegetable cultivar respond to AMF inoculation in a ordered matter . Research performed on green house lettucesuggested that a unripe cultivar ( Batavia Rubia Munguia ) respond in a more cocksure way to AMF inoculants than did a cherry bread cultivar ( Maravilla de Verano ) . Similar research on the consequence of AMF inoculantson tomatoessuggested that dissimilar cultivar of tomato plant performed other than when treated with AMF inoculum .
What ’s not to like about mycorrhizal fungi ? They execute like an organic biofertilizer , they forage for water , phosphorus and other nutrients that works can not strive , leave in intelligent and more rich plants and they are constitutive . Next natural spring , when I roll out the tiller or travelling bag of commercial fertilizer I ’m going to imagine about my fungi friend in the ground and do a passel less tilling and a spate less fertilizing because you just do n’t do harmful things to a good and worthful acquaintance .
Thanks for stopping by The Garden Shed , and we The Garden Shed squad desire you and your family have a secure and joyful holiday season . By the way if you have run out of gift ideas , why not consider a purse of mycorrhizal fungus kingdom because it is the natural gift that keeps on yield , Happy Holidays !
Sources :
Penn State Extension , “ Mycorrhizal Fungi and Field Crops”http://extension.psu.edu / plants / crops / cropping - organisation
The University of Georgia Extension , “ Soil Inoculants ” , Publication C990http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=C990
The Nature and Propertiesof Soils(Brady , N. , 2008 ) , pp . 471 - 475 .
Soil Science and Management(Plaster , E.,2009 ) , pp . 109 - 117 .
University of California , ” Arbuscular Mycorrhizas , Microbial Communities , Nutrient Availability , and Soil Aggregates in Organic Tomato Production”http://link.springer.com / article/10.1007 / s11104 - 005 - 5847 - 7#page-1
Texas A&M , “ Influence of a Flavonoid ( Formononetin ) on mycorrhizal activity and white potato craw productiveness in the highlands of Peru”http://aggie - horticuhttp://Texas A&M Mycorrhizal fungi effect on murphy
Cornell University , TRICHODERMA SPP . FOR BIOCONTROLhttp://hort.cornell.edu/bjorkman/Outlooks08
eXtension , “ Legume Inoculation for Organic Farming Systems “ http://articles.extension.org/pages/64401/legume-inoculation-for-organic-farming-systems
Journal of Agriculturaland Food Chemistry , 2011 , 59 ( 20 ) , pp . 11129 - 11140 , “ Improvement of Nutritional Quality of Greenhouse - Grown Lettuce by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi is Conditioned by the Source of Phosphorus Nutrition”.http://pubs.acs.org / doi / abs/10.1021 / jf202445y
Annals of Botany , 1998 , 82:849 - 857 , Article No bo980768 , “ Mycorrhizal Response of Two Tomato Genotypes Relates to their Ability to Acquire and Utilize Phosphorus”.http://aob.oxfordjournals.org / content/82/6/849
