RE: [compost_tea] basic questions

From: Bobbie, Hugh, Marley & Hoebie <hri7064_at_msn.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 15:32:10 -0800

 
Dr. Ingham (and any other interested party),
 
Hope what follows is not too far a field (bad pun intended).
 
In the post to Butch you wrote "a green cover crop (which should be a
perennial herb in an orchard system)."

Also, in the compost tea manual you write that for orchards and
vineyards "the understory plants.....should be colononized by the same
kinds of mycorrhizal fungi as the over-story tree requires."
 
As is the norm for me, the devil is in the practical details of applying
this principle.
 
Reference: Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet HYG-3305-01 by
Pierluigi (Enrico) Bonello
 
It is my understanding that there are seven different kinds of
mycorrhizas, the most important from an agricultural standpoint being
ectomycorrhizas, endomycorrhizas and ericoid mycorrhizas.
  
If I use apple trees as an example: My understanding is that they are
primarily endomycorrhizal. So, is white clover, which is also
endomycorrhizal, a close enough match? Or, can/should the match be made
down at the genus, species level of the fungi? If so, could you provide
some examples?
 
By the by ericoid mycorrhizas seem to be very interesting critters.
Somewhat similar to VAM, in that the fungus invades the host cells, but
affect only plants in the family Ericaceae (for example, heather,
rhododendron, blueberry). Can you pick a cover crop for blueberries
based on mychorrhizas??
 
Thanks for your time and input,
Hugh
 







Received on Sat Jan 01 2005 - 00:14:29 EST

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