Mycorrhizal fungi

A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular host plant. The fungi effectively extend the root area of plants and are extremely important to most wild plants, but less significant for garden plants where the use of fertilisers and cultivation disrupts and replaces these associations. Mycorrhizal fungi and soil.

At the dawn of time when plants were just beginning to colonise our planet mycorrhizal fungi were there living in a symbiotic relationship with plants enabling them to extract nutrients and hold onto water in . Find out more about the mycorrhizal fungi gardening myth.

They form a close symbiotic relationship with plant roots. They are called mycorrhizae from the Greek mukés, meaning fungus, and rhiza, meaning roots. In a mycorrhizal association the fungal hyphae of an underground mycelium are in contact with plant roots, but without the fungus parasitizing the plant. Ever wonder how mycorrhizal fungi improve plant nutrition? They do this by extending the volume of soil explored by the plant.

These hyphae explore the soil for nutrients, transport them . They provide nutrients such as phosphorus (and even nitrogen) and water to plants in exchange for carbohydrates.

If you have ever enjoyed the shade of an oak, decorated a pine, spruce or Douglas fir as a Christmas tree, admired the beauty of an orchi or eaten a blueberry or chanterelle mushroom, you have benefited from . These fungi enshroud an in some case, penetrate the structure of plant roots to form an intimate connection that facilitates a 2-way nutrient exchange. The mycelium of mycorrhizal fungi essentially extend the roots system of their associated plants to . It helps to create better root systems, resulting in greater vigour, higher resistance to drought and more abundant flowering. The broad mix of fungi stimulates root growth, creating a secondary root system which encourages the uptake of nutrients . The great majority of terrestrial plants live in close collaboration with a diversity of soil organisms among which mycorrhizal fungi play an essential role.

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Remin Volcanic Rock Dust 20Kg. Healthy lawns contain a secret ingredient: mycorrhizal fungi. Invisible to the naked eye, mycorrhizae form a mutually beneficial relationship with grass roots, stimulating lawns to grow thick and lush. Under a microscope, these . What are mycorrhizal fungi ? These extraordinary fungi provide a secondary root system for the plant.

A network composed of fungi with spreading spidery arms extending beyond the plant roots.

This volume explores the various functions and potential applications of mycorrhizas, including topics such as the dynamics of root colonization, soil carbon sequestration and the function of mycorrhizas in e.