Page 18 - Griffin Gazette Issue 2 - 2019

MYCORRHIZAE AND PLANTS

make great allies

By Ed Bloodnick, Grower Services Director, Premier Tech In this symbiotic relationship, the mycorrhizal network draws
nutrients from the soil for plant roots, which would sometimes
In undisturbed soils, mycorrhizal fungi are a major component of be inaccessible without the help of this invaluable ally. The
the soil's natural microflora, but their presence is not guaranteed hyhae bring the plant the nutrients it needs to develop properly,
in all soils when transplanting new plants in a garden bed or in including elements such as phosphorus copper and zinc, which
newly landscaped area. Sometimes, nature needs a little help.
aren't very mobile in the soil. They also draw water from within
Mycorrhizal fungi live in symbiosis with the roots of a large variety the soil's micropores, which would otherwise be inaccessible
of plants, including trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials. These by the root. Thus, roots colonized by mycorrhizae enables the
microscopic fungi form a symbiotic association with the plant's plant to be better protected and to resist the stress caused by
root system in which it interconnects a network of extremely transplanting, drought and heat, while maintaining an optimal
fine filaments, called hyphae, uniting the two partners appears growth rate.
(Figure 1). This union, called "mycorrhiza" ("myco" for fungus Mycorrhizal fungi also receive benefit from symbiosis with the
and "rhiza" for root), allows both partners to form a mutual plant. The plant’s ability to synthesize carbon-based substances
exchange network at the root zone level to support the plant in (sugars) by photosynthesis, feeds the fungi and there is a mutual
a cultural environment that can sometimes be challenging.
benefit, or symbiosis, between host plant and mycorrhizal fungi.

18 | GRIFFIN GAZETTE 2019