The Rise of Mycorrhizal Fungi
Micro-organisms (including Mycorrhizal Fungi) are the invisible superheroes of our living planet. Research has shown there are a larger diversity of microbes than in the animal and plant kingdoms and although invisible to the naked eye, they permeate the air, the soil, the water, the surface and the inside of plants. So it makes sense we should get to know them a little more and find out how to use them to our advantage.
The Mighty Microbes
Microbes include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, algae and fungi.
Fungi are far more complex than just the mushrooms that appear on top of the ground after it rains. They create microscopic but far-reaching networks of long threads under the ground. They are common and can be found in the millions in the dirt under your feet. If you were to pick up a handful of soil you would have kilometres of this fungal web in your hands. Some fungi stay outside of plants, and some penetrate into the plants (Ecto and Endomycorrhizal Fungi). Both types allow more water and nutrients to be passed to the plant, and in return, the plant generates sugars for the fungi.
The more plentiful and beneficial the fungi, the more drought resistant the plants, the higher the crop yields and the more resistant to pathogens.
The super fine strands of this web of fungi are much smaller than the tiniest of plant root hairs. This allows them to penetrate parts of soil and reach nutrients that plants can’t reach alone. It essentially extends their root system to access a much larger area of soil that it can reach itself (up to thousands of times larger). In fact, Mycorrhizal Fungi (fungi that colonise the root system of plants) ensure the survival of most of the earth’s land plants.
Biotechnology at its Best
These mycorrhizae — extraordinary fungi that interact with our garden crops — are the hero of our Roots, Shoots & Fruits product ranges and have been for the past 20 years. The technology created to grow these products en-masse originally did so to enable crops to grow in the barren Saudi-Arabian desert. This enabled them to turn the sand into a fertile plant host and grow plants where they couldn’t grow before.
We have countless case studies of farmers that have added Roots, Shoots & Fruits Mycorrhizal Fungi to their new plantings and ongoing to assist in their plant nutrition program. Our products have given their plants the ability to better absorb nutrients and water, meaning they grow faster and produce more plentiful produce, and resists pest and disease. This has enabled them to reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers and saved water, money and time.
Reducing Nitrogen and Phosphorus Applications
Because fungi absorb their food, they can easily absorb elements such as phosphorus and nitrogen which are essential for life. Plants, on the other hand, produce their own food in the form of carbohydrates through the process of photosynthesis. However, plants often have difficulty reaching and absorbing many of the essential nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. In terms of current environmental management it is critically important that plants can obtain these minerals without the need for a topical application.
Thus the symbiotic relationship of Mycorrhizal Fungi and plants exists in order to allow both organisms to thrive. So why not help your plants out and add some of our signature product Mycormax (which is organic Mycorrhizal Fungi) to their soil today?
