Mighty Mycorrhizae: Using Friendly Fungi to Stabilize Our Soils
Alexander Way
A thriving society can be determined by the conditions of the underlying soil. We are all responsible for the damages that occur but with modern technology, we can be advocates of a strong, healthy foundation for all things to grow.
Mycorrhizae have been around for 400 million years (give or take) and have served as a cornerstone organism in the evolution of plants and the overall adaptations of soil to better host an array of living things. Through modern research, we have seen that plants and mycorrhizae work together all over the globe in undisturbed areas. This obligate symbiont needs carbon-based sugars that can be provided by plants and in exchange, return the favor with a reserve of nutrients and water!
With natural disasters, construction and over-farming constantly changing our soil profile, we are noticing the side-effects. Now more than ever we need to understand the importance of healthy soil and how to maintain populations of key soil organisms. In this lecture you will learn why mycorrhizae is important and how to reintroduce these major fungi back into our environment. A message I hope you take away from this session is: DON’T TREAT YOUR SOIL LIKE DIRT!
Learning Objectives:
- What damages healthy soils and why are living soils necessary
- What key factors do mycorrhizae play in a soil environment
- How to apply mycorrhizae in various controlled and un-controlled situations