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This 300g pack of Endo/Ecto Transplanter Mycorrhizae in 300g re-sealable tub will treat approx. 100 pot grown plants or plugs or approx. 1.25kg of seed. It can be mixed with seed prior to planting, used as a powder root dip for plugs or used as a powder to put in the planting hole for pot grown plants. Also available in 1kg container.
Our third naturally occurring soil improver [click here for info. on all 4] and plant stimulant is a soil organism that colonizes plant roots [most species] in a symbiotic relationship. Mycorrhizae fungi are like microscopic root threads known as hyphae.
"We discern a closed chain of cause-and-effect relationships in the role of endo mycorrhizal fungi in the plant-soil system - the fungi improve the health and development of their host by enhancing plant nutrition and disease and stress resistance; the more vigorous plant is a better source of carbon to the soil, which encourages the activity of the soil biota; the products of microbial metabolism enhance soil aggregation; and better soil structure permits better plant and endo mycorrhizal growth." Drs. Bethlenfalvay and Linderman of the USDA Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory.
Because biologically-active soils generate plant nutrients, natural nutrient generation processes are constantly taking place in undisturbed soils. Due to the disturbance and interference of soils and the nutrient balance farmers and growers have had to take on the plant-feeding role that had previously been efficiently managed by large populations of mycorrhizal fungi working in cooperation with bacteria, earthworms, and various other soil organisms.
Other than seeking nutrients in the soil, what else do the fungi do?
Finding nutrients, particularly phosphorus, and delivering them into the host plant is the most obvious function, but there are also important disease and pathogen suppression benefits for a mycorrhizal plant.
Some of the enhanced plant health comes simply from the plant being much better nourished, but the fungi also protect roots in other ways. First, by colonizing and filling the zone around the roots with sticky hyphae, pathogens have a far more difficult time just getting to the roots. One study reported 70% less nematode damage to roots inoculated with the endo mycorrhizae Glomus mosseae, although there were large numbers of nematodes in the surrounding soil.
If pathogens or disease organisms do enter the root zone, the fungi are what the scientists call "antagonistic". The fungi produce specific target antibiotics, and some have even been observed wrapping their hyphae around nematodes to immobilize and kill them (taking nutrients from the dead nematode bodies to the host plant afterwards).
What plants use mycorrhizal fungi?
Some plants are so dependent on mycorrhizae they may struggle to survive without it. A few extremely dependent ones are avocados, bananas, all types of citrus, and grapes.
Other types may not be quite as dependent, but will still benefit greatly from having the right mycorrhizae on their roots (examples are asparagus, artichokes, melons, tomatoes, peppers, and squash (note the common element of thick fleshy roots with few feeder roots on all of these). The beet and cabbage families plus a few others apparently do not rely on mycorrhizae.
The presence of mycorrhizae or a mycorrhizal plant plays an important role in the maintenance and improvement of soil structure and texture. The hyphae clump individual clay particles into aggregates, thereby allowing more oxygen to reach the root zone. This promotes the rapid multiplication of beneficial aerobic bacteria, which fix nitrogen, solubilise phosphorus, and process other elements into forms plants can use. As the fungi are also aerobic organisms, this forming of tight clay soil into a granular texture is a rather clever and useful thing to do.
The fungal hyphae will also clump together sand into an underground biomass, which then becomes an ideal moisture-holding environment for plant roots and bacteria. We see some of the most dramatic test versus control differences in pure sand desert conversion areas, where the physical clumping of sand grains is probably even more important than the seeking-out of nutrients.
Aren’t there already mycorrhizal fungi in most soils?
In undisturbed soils, yes. However, tillage, fertilization, erosion, fumigation, wrong crop rotations, leaving soil bare, and many other factors may have caused the fungi population to be depleted, and they often need to be reintroduced. Even growers who believe they have active soil may discover that new species of mycorrhizae are worth introducing.
Home gardeners report double or triple melon and tomato yields on treated versus untreated plants, but to be honest, others say that they note little difference. Most likely, when both inoculated and non-inoculated plants bear very heavy crops, there were already good populations of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil.
There are currently seven types of endo Mycorrhizal species in our inoculants Glomus brasilianum, G. clarum, G. deserticola, G. intraradices, G. monosporus, G. mosseae, and Gigaspora margarita.
It may seem unscientific to apply several types and "just let them sort themselves out", but we feel that is actually the best way to ensure that at least one desirable type will perform well in almost any situation.
How durable are the dormant spores?
If our inoculants are kept cool (under 32°C) and are not exposed to sunlight we expect a shelf life of at least two years, but the viability of spores in their fully-dormant state can be much longer than that. One noted soil scientist said that he would be willing to bet that some spores from deep inside the pyramids would still activate with exposure to the right root exudates.
Can the fungi help growers with problem soils?
When the fungi take charge of a plant‘s root system, they are able to regulate the uptake of potentially harmful elements. This ability to "screen out" toxins has long been recognised by soil restoration professionals, and it is common to specify that mycorrhizal transplants be used on large projects.
How do you apply Angus Mycoforce Transplanter inoculant to plants?
1kg will treat 333 2 litre – 3 litre plants; as a general guide apply 1g of transplanter per litre of rootball or growing media.
The objective is to get an even coating of mycorrhizal spores over the young feeder root system on the outside of the rootball bringing the dormant spores out of dormancy as fast as possible by putting them in direct contact with roots. This can be achieved by any of the following methods:
1. Dust the powder lightly over the root ball
2. Mix Angus Mycoforce Transplanter with water and drench the root ball
3. Backfill around the rootball to within approx. 100mm of the finished soil level. Dust the perimeter surface of the rootball with transplanter and finish backfilling.
This inoculant can also be used with seeds and blended into potting and seed growing media.
For best results ensure high levels of organic matter is present – use Angus VermiCompost. When feeding use one of our 100% organic fertilisers.
For more information please click here.
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