Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["E. E. Mitchamore Jr" <emitch@att.net>]

Like most things we deal with, just being "natural" doesn't necessarily make it simple.  In fact, the role of fungi in agriculture is probably less well understood than any of the other factors.  For example, it was only about 11 years ago that glomalin (an important fungal exudate), was isolated, because it is so tightly held in the soil.

 

Mycorrhizae are extremely beneficial in a mature biosystem but unless you're 1) Farming in a relatively undisturbed environment (no fertilizer, which encourages bacteria at the expense of fungi; no pesticides, which kill everything; and NO TILLING, which shreds the hyphae), and 2) growing the same sort of crops which grew there before human intervention, then most likely your mycorrhizal population is sub-optimal.

 

Having said that, it's not at all clear how to improve the fungal environment.  For sure, no-till is beneficial.  Also, it's likely that inoculants would be beneficial but, since mycorrhizae are, indeed, plant-specific,  a "shotgun" approach is all that is readily available today.

 

One perspective is useful: Most of our intensive crops are annuals, which thrive in a bacteria-dominant environment.  Perennials and woody plants prefer a fungal-dominant environment, which is why, as a tree grower, I am interested in mycorrhizae.

 

In any case, a bacteria/fungus balance is most beneficial, wherein diverse and mutually supportive plants, bacteria, fungi, and other critters coexist.

 

E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
www.hillcountrynatives.biz

----- Original Message -----

From: TradingPostPaul

To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 11:57 AM

Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Growing Micorizzal Fungi for Inoculant

Well, it's about growing food isn't it? Of course I don't pose as an expert
but I have read that whatever micorrhizae plants need is usually in the
soil to begin with, and special inoculants are a waste of money. After all,
the earth is more or less covered with vegetation where soil and climate
permit, and Mother Nature doesn't have a problem with inoculants. I say
usually. There are certain plants and trees that do need their own brand of
inoculant because they're not native to the type of soil you have. My own
suspicion is, if you need inoculants then maybe those plants don't belong
anyway. YMMV.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 3/8/2007 at 6:06 PM John Smith wrote:

>Was the experiment a success? I went to your site and was expecting to see
>grass grown with and grass grown without to see if there was a difference.
>I'm not sure about Bahia grass but it doesn't look to be particularly
>thriving. I thought micorhizal fungi tended to be plant specific and if
>they
>are good for grass they might not be useful for other species of plant.
>
>I think this is a fascinating subject and I hope anyone who has experience
>to input will do so (no sales pitches). Is this on topic, Paul?
>;-)
>
>John Smith



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