RE: Re Mycorrhizal Fungi and Mycorrhiza

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The research I have seen has been done in an experimental situation - adding mycorrhizae to a non-inoculated potting medium and comparing it with an inoculated medium. Can anyone direct me to studies done in landscape situations – cataloging what mycorrhizae are present to begin with, adding “new” types, then comparing results. ?

Or even a study characterizing the “average” urban/suburban backyard to see just what is actually there at the start?

Claudia

Lee Reich wrote:

 As i wrote previously, inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi is beneficial   in certain situations, such as in mine spoils, pesticide doused soils,   or sterile potting mixes. Mycorrhizal fungi are not all that host   specific, but some matching must be done, which also must take into   account soil conditions. Generally, I wouldn't waste my money   inoculating the soil.

Lee Reich, PhD

JEFF LOWENFELS wrote:

A good source of basic information about soil biology is The Soil Biology Primer (order via www.swcs.org) put out by the Soil and Water Conservation Society and none other than the USDA. It is very, very good with lots of pictures and will give any garden writer and any reader the full picture of the soil food web. It is a starting point for Scientific Gardening. I think you can print most of it for free off the www.soilfooodweb.com site but I have not checked lately. If you are interested in what you read, there is a good bibliography and using the web you can get into all sorts of wonderful research.

>

>By the way, Mycorrhiza does not  benefit ALL plants and especially some our readers care a lot about: Plants that don't "do" mycorrhizal fungi or at leasat Mycorrhizae are not formed are Cruciferae (Broccoli et al) and Chenopediaciae (spinach, beets. Are there others anyone knows about?

Lee's comment about apply it and coals to New Castle was an interesting one  and the current research does seem to indicate that each plant type is different. I notice that most of the mycorrhizal fungi sold are in seven families, the names of which I can't spell without the labels. Lee, is it possible that these are all "frauds". What is your take on their claims? Any

>great studies you know of from your pHD research you think we should all look at?

Cheers,

Jeff