Page 12 - Griffin Gazette Issue 3 - 2020
P. 12
MYCORRHIZAE
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Photo caption: Drought test- Untreated control on the left, treated plant on the right. | Photo credit: Mycorrhizal Applications
By Rick Yates, GGSPro Technical Support Manager
Mycorrhizae means “fungus root”, which gives us a running start at understanding the function of these amazing organisms.
Mycorrhizae are fungi that grow in a mutually beneficial relationship with plant roots. Plants provide carbon, lipids and
sugar while mycorrhizae respond with chelated inorganic nutrients such as: calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorus
and zinc. The chelation process makes these nutrients more available to plants. The fungal connection occurs when the
mycorrhizae receives a signal from the plant. Once this occurs the spores germinate and the mycorrhizae send out hyphae
to penetrate the plant roots.
Endo mycorrhizae fungi live inside and outside of the root, being dependent on the host plant to survive. This represents
approximately 85% of all mycorrhizae. Ecto mycorrhizae is much less common, living outside the plant roots of mostly
woody plant species. Ecto mycorrhizae can live without a plant host. Both types of mycorrhizae have multiples strains that
may favor certain plant species or different stages of plant growth.
12 | GRIFFIN GAZETTE 2020
