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Re: Mycorrhizae is a secret weapon

I'll put in my two cents about mycorrhizae, which was part of the research I did for my doctoral thesis.

Mycorrhizae are something that every loves to love -- as well they should. It's an elegant symbiosis between fungi and plants. Mycorrhizae also are a money making opportunity to some people. Look out your window and virtually every plant you see is mycorrhizal, naturally. Adding mycorrhizal inoculates to the soil is usually like hauling coals to Newcastle.

True, there are some situations where inoculation helps: where soil life has been killed by toxins, where exotic plants are introduced and they cannot be infected by indigenous mycorrhizal fungi; under laboratory conditions in sterilized growing mixes. But these are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Even where inoculation would be of benefit, it will only be so if the right fungi are used based on the plants being grown as well as soil and climate conditions. Mycorrhizal fungi are not all very host specific, but still, there has to be some matching, which may or may not be the case with inoculant you get out of a box.

Doreen Howard wrote:
All this is true and very clearly explained.  However, there is a huge
omission.  If too much N-P-K is put into the soil--especially the N and P,
they kill mycorrhizae.  When mycorrhizal fungi is in soil, you have to be
very careful about not adding large amounts of fertilizer--even amounts
recommended on synthetic fertilizer packages are too much.  The best
nutrition for mycorrhizae-inoculated  soil is compost.  I have experimented
with small amounts of Osmocote® and fish meal pellets, which are also
gradual release.  They do well and don't kill mycorrhizae.
Doreen Howard

----- Original Message -----
From: "Suzi McCoy" b*@impact-pr.com
To: G*@topica.com
Sent: Sunday, March 31, 2002 11:24 AM
Subject: RE: [GWL]: Mycorrhizae is a secret weapon

Here's an overview of some scientific studies on how mycorrhizae boots
root growth and enhances the health of soil.  For more information on
soil enhancers contact GWAA member Ed Bloodnick at Premier Horticulture
-- 800-424-2554 or Susan McCoy 610-388-9330.

SCIENTISTS FIND TINY PLANT ENCHANCERS
"WORK MIRACLES" IN THE GARDEN

From tired gardens to sandy beaches, scientists have found that
re-introducing mycorrhizae to the soil can be miraculous.

The natural growth stimulator helps establish difficult planting areas,
boosts plant growth and almost doubles flowers, fruits and vegetables.

In some cases, professional growers have almost doubled the amount of
peppers, strawberries, asparagus, carrots and potatoes.

"Mycorrhizae, the beneficial soil fungi that colonize plant roots, pack
a double punch," explained Dr. Dennis Douds, PhD, of the US Department
of Agriculture Eastern Regional Research Center. "T
hese fungi enhance
plant growth and improve the soil."
Scientists have discovered:
. Mycorrhizae search the soil for more food for the plant. "In
general, mycorrhizae have a very good role in plant sustainability and
the health of the soil," said Dr. Douds. "Their main benefit is helping
roots pick up nutrients from the soil, but they do so much more."
. In poor soil and stressful conditions, mycorrhizae help plants
flower and fruit more, resist diseases and tolerate drought.

 "Mycorrhizae can do miraculous things when the soil is low in
phosphorous or when there are other stresses," Dr. Douds said. "They
help plants withstand water stress and resist fungal diseases and other
soil pests. Mycorrhizae help plants cope better."
Roots with mycorrhizal fungi can reach 90 times more phosphorous than
uncolonized roots, added Dr. Douds.

The mycorrhizae explore the soil far beyond the root, take up
phosphorous, bring it back into
 the root and release it to the root
cell," he explained.  "In return, the root gives the fungus glucose it
needs."

. In all soils, mycorrhizae enhance soil structure and produce
healthier plants. The mycorrhizal fungal netting reaches from root to
root, improving soil structure, Dr. Douds explained. "Those strands help
to bind small particles of soil into larger particles." Those larger
particles hold water better, resist erosion and increase soil porosity
so the plant absorbs more oxygen.

PRO-MIXR's Exclusive MycoriseR
For more than five years, Premier Horticulture, the industry's leading
producer of soilless potting and planting mixes, has included
mycorrhizae in several professional potting mixes.

Coined MycoriseR, PRO-MIXR is the only brand of professional and home
garden mixes containing these natural beneficial fungi on the market
today.
gardener and weekend landscapers in PRO-MIXR Vegetable and Flower Bed

Mix.
This exclusive, natural plant enhancer has been scientifically studied
and the results proven.

"PRO-MIX with MycoriseR is a next-generation, cutting-edge product for
growers," said Ed Bloodnick, Premier Horticulture's Director of Product
Development and Refinement.

At the USDA's Eastern Research Center, Dr. Douds found that  PRO-MIX
with MycoriseR significantly enhanced the survival of rooted cuttings
from the umbrella pine tree.  Nearly three-quarters of the treated
cuttings survived compared to about one quarter without the growth
stimulant.

"Cuttings into the mycorrhizae mix had better survival and better
formation of the root primordial, which are little bumps of callus on
the cut end." Dr. Douds said in his study published in the February 1995
issue of HortScience.

Other Research Findings
. The mycorrhizal condition is the rule among plants, not the
exception, writes David Sylvia, Professor of Soil M
icrobiology, Soil and
Water Science at the University of Florida. An estimated 95% of all
plant species form symbiotic associations with fungi.
. For infertile, nutrient-poor, or moisture-deficient soils,
nutrients taken up by mycorrhizal fungi can lead to improved plant
growth and reproduction, said Sylvia. Mycorrhizal plants are often more
competitive and better able to tolerate environmental stresses than are
nonmycorrhizal plants.
. Green peppers grown with mycorrhizae weighed 20 percent more
than control plants. USDA's Dr. Douds added mycorrhizae to the seedlings
at his laboratory at the Eastern Regional Research Center then
transplanted them to an experimental bed at the Rodale Farm.
. In a study of beach grass restoration (1989), UFL's David Sylvia
found that grasses planted with endomycorrhizae from native dunes spread
more rapidly and grew significantly bigger than those without fungi. For
details visit www.dmsylvia.ifas.ufl.edu .

Premier Horticulture is the industry's leading producer and distributor
of premium quality potting and planting mixes for both professionals and
home gardeners.

For more information on the PRO-MIX line of products, helpful hints, and
planting and potting suggestions, log on to Premier's web site:
http://www.premierhort.com.  To find a garden center nearest you, click
on "Where to buy PRO-MIX."



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