Re: [compost_tea] Fungal interaction

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2003 23:58:45 -0500

Ectomycorrhizal fungi occur on conifers and some ornamentals, not on grasses. A paper written suggesting that ectomycorrhizal fungi are important in rangeland soils strikes me as a bit scary. Unless the rangeland is converting to juniper, which isn't exactly what is needed, ectomycorrhizal fungi aren't the ons doing the work.

Endomycorrhizal fungi, and specifically VAM (vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) which are a kind of endomyccorhizal fungi, are what is found on grasses and a wide range of deciduous trees. Those are the ones we need on most crop species.

And the original report on glomulin was with VAM, not ecto, as I recall. But there are some great books and a few papers on many other glues in soil made by bacteria as well as fungi, so I don't buy the exclusivity that the USDA is pushing for fungi, and particularly mycorrhizal fungi, as being the sole producers of the glue that hold soil together. Important in holding soil together, yes, but not the only organism group doing that function.

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 Tue Dec 23 2003 - 01:01:47 EST

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