What is Mycorrhizae?

The term mycorrhizae describes the mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship between specialized soil fungi and the roots of most plants on the Earth. Myco = fungus, rhizo = root. These fungi have been associated with plant roots for 460 million years, ever since plants began to grow in soil. Still further, other soil microbes become associated with the mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere soil (soil associated with and influenced by root exudates). Then, rhizosphere soil becomes mycorrhizosphere soil: soil influenced by both fungus and the root. The mycorrhizal fungi become the interface between the soil and plant roots: the fungi colonize the roots internally, and the soil externally. Internally, the fungus becomes the interface where nutrient exchanges occur between the fungus and plant by direct contact of the fungus with the root cells: carbon energy from the plant to the fungus, and soil nutrients from the fungus to the host plant. In addition, a plant with mycorrhiza is physiologically altered due to biochemical changes that occur in the plant.  Our mycorrhizal products reflect that holistic association. The benefits of that team of microbes, orchestrated by the mycorrhizal fungi, can be many, especially for plants under stress.

BENEFITS OF MYCORRHIZAE

• INCREASED YIELD
• ENHANCED PLANT GROWTH
• ENHANCED ROOT DEVELOPMENT
• INCREASED DISEASE RESISTANCE
• IMPROVED TRANSPLANT SUCCESS
• INCREASED DROUGHT TOLERANCE

Since the first discovery of mycorrhizae, there have been many species and strains of mycorrhizal fungi discovered — each with its own unique characteristics, but all with the capacity to benefit plant growth and health by various means. Mycorrhizae have been shown to aid plants in the acquisition of water and nutrients, and to enable them to better tolerate such things as soil toxicity, drought, and other environmental stresses.  In the soil around plant roots, they develop associations with other beneficial microbes.  In agricultural systems where intense cultivation has degraded the soils over time, the mycorrhizal associations have become reduced and in many cases are not effective.  Growers have been forced to compensate for their lack with applications of fertilizers and pesticides.  For growers of crops in soilless media, mycorrhizal fungi and other beneficial microbes are simply not present and therefore cannot provide benefit to plants.