Micorrhiza
Fungi
What Micorrhiza is
Among more than 100,000 different kinds of fungi, there is a small group which under natural conditions lives in symbiosis with plant roots. This co-existence to the mutual advantage is called Mycorrhiza (Frank, in 1885). About 85% of all examined botanical species are infectable by the seemingly ubiquitous Mycorrhiza fungus. From the mycorrhized root, extremely thin fungus threads (Hyphae) expand into the ground and cause the root surface to enlarge up to a thousand times. The thus enlarged surface between fungus and plant leads to an extremely favorable water- and nutrient exchange. The fungus improves the supply of nutrients and water for the plant. The positive by-product is that ground nutrients or water, otherwise not available to the plant, are utilized. This results in a significant reduction of the need for irrigation and fertilization. Among the numerous positive effects for the plant are:
– Increased growth, increased returns
– improvement of stress resistance, e.g., against illness, pests, etc.
In exchange the fungus receives carbohydrates (sugars) from the plant which are needed for its growth but cannot be produced without photosynthesis.
Agricultural value of the product:
The inoculation of cultivated plants with Mycorrhiza fungi leads to numerous positive effects. There are hundreds of scientific reports confirming the positive effect of Mycorrhiza fungi.
Mycorrhiza fungi - a miracle of nature!
Still an insider‘s tip among organic gardeners – the mycorrhiza fungi. They provide plants with nutrients and help them to grow larger roots.
But what is a mycorrhiza fungus?
Mycorrhiza is translated as “root of a fungus”. Effectively it is a fungus that enters “life-community” symbiosis with its host plant. Both enter into a mutually beneficial relationship, exchanging nutrients and water. The appearance of mycorrhizae is quite different in the different plant groups. Just as a fruiting body is a special organ for the propagation of a fungus, the mycorrhiza is also an organ, which the fungus needs as its nutrient supplier.
Symbiosis between plant and fungus:
Mycorrhiza is lifeblood between fungi and plant roots, which makes life easier for both organisms. In biology, such a life-community is also called “mycorrhizal symbiosis”. Each partner benefits from the other: The fungus absorbs valuable vitamins and sugars from the root cells of the plant, which the fungus itself cannot produce because it lacks the necessary chlorophyll. The plant in turn receives water and nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus from the fungus braid, as the fungi can better brake up nutrients and water in the soil. The subterranean fungus (mycelium) grows with the root of the plant and thus increases its root surface. The plant now has the ability to cover a more extensive area and penetrate deeper into the soil. It is better fed and is more resistant to weathering, pathogens, and pests due to its good nutritional status. Even unfavourable environmental conditions such as high salt concentrations and longer-lasting dryness in the soil are better tolerated by the plant with the help of the fungus.
This symbiosis has been working for millions of years:
In the Central European forests the trees live without exception with mycorrhiza fungi. Of the visible fruit bodies, which are known to us as mushrooms, more than a third belong to the mycorrhiza fungus family. This includes both edible fungi as well as poisonous specimens. Did you know that fungi are the oldest living beings on our planet?
In the undisturbed nature, the mycorrhizal symbiosis still functions on its own . In disturbed soils, on intensively cultivated land or after construction measures, this symbiosis is disturbed. It may take many years, if not decades, before the mycorrhiza symbiosis regenerates, if at all. In organic farming, cultivation areas are therefore inoculated with mycorrhiza fungi to re-cultivate soils. There are also various mycorrhiza products for the amateur gardener who have been specially developed for each plant. AGROMYC®VITAL Mycorrhizal Concentrate is the name of our product, in which vaccines of mycorrhizal fungi are fixed on a carrier material and thus are present in high concentration.
What is important when using AGROMYC®VITAL Mycorrhizal Concentrates?
If you decide to use our AGROMYC®VITAL Mycorrhizal fungi, the motto is “Less is more”. Your plants will need less fertilizer and less water. In the first eight weeks after the application of the mycorrhiza preparation, do not use any plant protection product of any kind and make sure that fungicides do not enter the soil. The future use of fertilizers should be reduced by about 50 percent. If possible, use only organic fertilizer.
The supply of excessively high doses of nutrients, especially phosphorus, can reduce the symbiotic effects of the mycorrhiza. Since the mycorrhiza fungus is not “consumed” in contrast to the fertilizer, plants only need a single inoculation in normal cases. If too little mycorrhiza substrate is used, the effects are delayed, as the mycorrhiza takes longer to spread. Too much mycorrhiza substrate does not harm since it is a purely biological product, which is completely harmless for humans, animals and soil life. If the mycorrhiza fungus does not find a symbiosis partner, it dies without endangering the soil or plants.