So, this morning I woke up inspired by mushrooms! Well, not mushrooms per say, but fungus. Mycorrhizal fungus to be exact. (Pronounce it My-Ko-Rye-Zal) It’s a very special fungus that grows on the roots of plants, or sometimes even IN the roots of plants. Together the roots and the mychorriza have a very symbiotic relationship. The fungus allows the roots to increase the rate at which they can absorb minerals and nutrients, while the plant lets the fungus have some of the carbs produced from photosynthesis. Here’s the technical gist from Wikipedia:

A mycorrhiza (Greek for fungus roots coined by Frank, 1885^[1]; typically seen in the plural forms mycorrhizae or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic (occasionally weakly pathogenic) association between a fungus and the roots of a plant.^[2] In a mycorrhizal association the fungus may colonize the roots of a host plant either intracellularly or extracellularly.

This mutualistic association provides the fungus with relatively constant and direct access to mono- or dimeric carbohydrates, such as glucose andsucrose produced by the plant in photosynthesis.^[3] The carbohydrates are translocated from their source location (usually leaves) to the root tissues and then to the fungal partners. In return, the plant gains the use of the mycelium‘s very large surface area to absorb water and mineral nutrients from the soil, thus improving the mineral absorption capabilities of the plant roots.^[4] Plant roots alone may be incapable of taking up phosphate ions that are immobilized, for example, in soils with a basic pH. The mycelium of the mycorrhizal fungus can however access these phosphorus sources, and make them available to the plants they colonize.^[5] The mechanisms of increased absorption are both physical and chemical. Mycorrhizal mycelia are much smaller in diameter than the smallest root, and can explore a greater volume of soil, providing a larger surface area for absorption. Also, the cell membrane chemistry of fungi is different from that of plants. Mycorrhizae are especially beneficial for the plant partner in nutrient-poor soils.

Mycorrhizal plants are often more resistant to diseases, such as those caused by microbial soil-borne pathogens, and are also more resistant to the effects of drought. These effects are perhaps due to the improved water and mineral uptake in mycorrhizal plants.

Mycorrhizae form a mutualistic relationship with the roots of most plant species (although only a small proportion of all species have been examined, 95% of all plant families are predominantly mycorrhizal).^[6]

Plants grown in sterile soils and growth media often perform poorly without the addition of spores or hyphae of mycorrhizal fungi to colonise the plant roots and aid in the uptake of soil mineral nutrients. The absence of mycorrhizal fungi can also slow plant growth in early succession or on degraded landscapes.^[7]

WOW, doesn’t that last paragraph totally apply to hydroponics??? So, as a grower what can you do? General Hydroponics is really proud to announce SubCulture-M. It’s a root innoculant with the awesome power of mycorrhizal fungi. Check it out on our site, click here.