North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Kevin Moore <aleguy33@yahoo.com>]

Most mycorhizae are specific to certain genera or families. Some are more gregarious than others. That is why what is sold is usually a blend of various mycorhizae. I agree that a shovelful of healthy forest soil probably contains sufficient and varied species of fungi to inoculate dead soils, but the truth is most gardeners don't have access to healthy forest soil.
The mycorhizae for bluberries/cranberries are not available commercially and are very difficult to transplant from the wild to a cultivated plot. Not all wild populations will have mycorhizae, compounding the problem.
I'm not really sure of the reason for using foliar sprays of active compost teas. It does seem to work. Perhaps we are unintentionally innoculating our plants with endomorphic fungi, but if that were the case, one application should have permanent results. It's possible that the microrganims break down the waxy coating on the leaf surfaces and allow the nutrients to enter the plants more readily. I can't say. I am also spraying my veggies with seaweed extract and fish emulsion, so it is possible that one of these sprays doesn't actually do anything. All I can say for sure is that every time I have added a new spray to my regimen the plants have done even better. I rarely have to spray skim mik solutions any more, but whether this is because of my foliar feeds or from selection of seed from healthy plants, I don't know.

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From: Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2009 1:33:38 PM
Subject: [NAFEX] mychorizal ripoff

I realize the discussion has gone way beyond mychorizal amendments but to get back to that, I don't think this is really a matter of contradicting research.  Adding a store bought inoculant is not even based on a reasonable theory that I know of.  Fungus multiply really fast if conditions encourage them- it is an accepted premise that the mychorizal associations are not species specific, so all you need is a little soil from some place where trees have long been growing to inoculate soil.  The packaged product only offers the convenience of not having to do that.  As far as the spray concept- that's just beyond me.  Is there some kind of theory why that should work, I mean as a foliar spray?

 

As far as all of you who have complaints about the state of scientific research in this country, I can't help but wonder if you aren't lamenting an imaginary past.  Why would funding ever come in great quantities for any reason other than business interest?  Even if the government funded research purely for the social good the decisions are always going to be skewered by the power of the holly dollar.  Of course we should always work to make this country better and more progressive but like the weather, it's never going to be anywhere near perfect.  With all that science has accomplished in my lifetime through research, I have to wonder what golden era of science was more affective in transforming our lives then the one we're living in.