Re: [compost_tea] Re: Fungal growth in tea

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Sat, 08 Nov 2003 07:54:57 -0500

> Lets say we start with 2034 seperate fungal organisms extracted into the tea from the compost. If we provide some "growing conditions" for them ( food, a place to live),
> then we end up say 24 hours later with 2034 bigger organisms?
> ( if so, what is the benefit of bigger fungi vs smaller ones?)

Fungi grow at the tips. The cells elongate, and then put down a new cell wall, and the tip continues to grow outward. Fungi branch, as well, so a new side-branch will begin and now instead of one growing point, there are two.

So, yes, you just get bigger fungal bodies as they grow out. The benefit is that the longer strands of hyphae cover more leaf surface, access more nutrients. The long strands can break and as long as large enough strands result after breakage, both individuals continue to grow. Two individuals where there was one individual previously. Is that reproduction? The two individuals are genetically exactly the same.

But, regardless of how much I'm going to have a tizzy about semantics here (grin), the fact is fungal biomass increases in the tea, and that means more coverage on the leaf surface, more biomass to move into the soil and find the root, or increase decomposition.


> What of the fungal spores in the compost? Again, providing growing conditions, could they typically hatch out and add to the number of fungal organisms in the tea? ( if so, this must be a major benefit!)
>
> Lynton

The spores really like to be attached to surfaces before they will germinate and start to grow out. The hyphae (the strands I was talking about in the previous paragraph) really prefer to be attached to a surface in order to grow. Proteins, sugars, nutrients will concentrate on a surface because of ionic attraction processes, and that is most likely the reason that many organisms like to be in the same place. Increased food resources, and possibly a need to have a stable surface on which to grow.

So, yes, spores are important. If your tea goes anaerobic and the active, living strands of hyphae are killed, the spores survive the anaerobic conditions, and after air returns to the area, or after the bacteria stop growing so fast in your tea and using up any returning oxygen, then the spores can germinate and begin to grow.

Fungi survive bad conditions by producing spores. But it typically takes several days for fungi to make spores, so they don't have time to use this escape mechanim when they are growing happily in tea, and then the bacteria bloom and use up all the oxygen, and kill the active fungi.

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
SFI Corvallis, OR
SFI Port Jefferson, NY
SFI Lismore, NSW, Australia
SFI Hilversum, The Netherlands
SFI Cambridge, New Zealand
www.soilfoodweb.com

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Received on Sat Nov 08 2003 - 12:31:02 EST

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