Plant Protection science 🌱🦠🔬

The amazing world of mycorrhizal fungi in a timelapse 📹🕕⌛️

🍄Most mycorrhizal fungi depend heavily on plant photosynthate to meet their energy requirements.

🌱Mycorrhizas are beneficial fungi growing in association with plant roots, and exist by taking sugars from plants 'in exchange' for moisture and nutrients gathered from the soil by the fungal strands. The mycorrhizas greatly increase the absorptive area of a plant, acting as extensions to the root system.

📍There are many abiotic factors that affect the activity of mycorrhizal fungi, including soil fertility, temperature, pH, soil moisture and aeration, soil type, salinity, plant readiness for infection, soil organic matter, and others.

🦠When applied to soil, they can start growing into the plant root and will take about four weeks to establishe the symbiotic relationship. Though it varies by plant species, growing protocol, etc., it generally takes about eight weeks for benefits to become visible in the field.

🚜Other ways to increase mycorrhizal fungi in the soil, some of which include reduced tillage, using cover crops, polyculture, planting mycorrhizal friendly crops, increasing soil organic matter, avoid usage of fertilizers and responsible use of crop protection products.

🔎Many mycorrhizal fungi are obligately symbiotic and therefore are unable to survive in nature for extended periods of time without their host. Because the relationship between the fungus and the plant is symbiotic, both members of the relationship obtain a benefit from each other.


📓Information references:

https://lnkd.in/g3Wk4rWn


https://lnkd.in/geWT9UsY.

📹Video credit:

https://lnkd.in/gRwBBB_E

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