Month: March 2022

Fact Sheet 01-29 MYCORRHIZAE (Myco = fungus Rhiza = root) Angela M. O’Callaghan, Ph.D. Southern Area Social Horticulture Specialist  When plants live in challenging locations, they often develop mechanisms to help them survive. These include morphological characteristics such as thickened, small or narrow leaves to reduce water loss, slowing the plant’s growth rate, or developing […]

Mycorrhizae Mycorrhizae play an important role in plant nutrition. Because they are unseen, they are often disregarded when it comes to deciding upon a cause for decline in a particular planting. Just what are mycorrhizae and why are they so important in plant production? Ectomycorrhizal roots of Picea abies (photo by H. Blaschke). The word “mycorrhiza” means […]

Dig up the roots of a healthy plant system and you’ll find an array of webbed filaments attached to the roots and soil. Those are mycorrhizal fungi, and they’re constantly at work promoting root system growth, nutrient efficiency and water absorption. Mycorrhizal fungi are critical for the health of organic and conventional planting systems, fostering […]

Researchers who are exploring this relationship are finding that mycorrhizal fungi are a vital part of ecosystem health around the world—not only in less intensively managed ecosystems but in agricultural landscapes as well. Mycorrhizal Fungi Mycorrhizal fungi colonize the root system of a host plant to form a symbiotic relationship and assist with water and […]