In order to visualize more clearly what the mycorrhiza of tree roots looks like, it is necessary to compare the appearance of root endings with mycorrhiza with the appearance of roots without it. The roots of the warty euonymus, for example, devoid of mycorrhiza, branch sparsely and are the same throughout, in contrast to the roots of rocks that form mycorrhiza, in which the sucking mycorrhizal endings differ from the growth, not mycorrhizal ones. Mycorrhizal sucking endings either swell club-shaped at the tip in oak, or form very characteristic "forks" and complex complexes of them, resembling corals, in pine, or have the shape of a brush in spruce. In all these cases, the surface of the sucking endings greatly increases under the action of the fungus. Having made a thin cut through the mycorrhizal end of the root, one can be convinced that the anatomical picture is even more diverse, i.e., the sheath of fungal hyphae braiding the root end can be of different thickness and color, be smooth or fluffy, consisting of such dense intertwined hyphae, which gives the impression of real tissue or, conversely, be loose.
It happens that the cover does not consist of one layer, but of two, differing from each other in color or structure. The so-called Hartig network can also be expressed to varying degrees, i.e., hyphae that go along the intercellular spaces and form together really something like a network. AT different occasions this network may extend to more or fewer layers of root parenchyma cells. The hyphae of the fungus partially penetrate into the cells of the cow parenchyma, which is especially pronounced in the case of aspen and birch mycorrhiza, and are partially digested there. But no matter how peculiar the picture of the internal structure of mycorrhizal roots, in all cases it is clear that the hyphae of the fungus do not enter the central cylinder of the root and the meristem at all, i.e., into that zone of the root ending where, due to increased cell division, the root grows. . All such mycorrhiza are called ectoendotrophic, since they have both a superficial sheath with hyphae extending from it, and hyphae passing inside the root tissue.
Not all tree species have mycorrhiza of the types described above. In maple, for example, mycorrhiza is different, that is, the fungus does not form an outer cover, but in the cells of the parenchyma one can see not separately running hyphae, but whole balls of hyphae, often filling the entire space of the cell. Such mycorrhiza is called endotrophic (from the Greek "endos" - inside, and "trophe" - nutrition) and is especially characteristic of orchids. The appearance of mycorrhizal endings (shape, branching, depth of penetration) is determined by the tree species, and the structure and surface of the cover depend on the type of fungus that forms mycorrhiza, and, as it turned out, not one, but two fungi can simultaneously form mycorrhiza.
What fungi form mycorrhiza and with what breed? It was not easy to resolve this issue. AT different time various methods have been proposed for this, up to careful tracing of the course of fungal hyphae in the soil from the base of the fruiting body to the root end. by the most effective method turned out to be sowing under sterile conditions of a certain type of fungus in the soil on which a seedling of a certain tree species was grown, that is, when mycorrhiza was synthesized under experimental conditions. This method was proposed in 1936 by the Swedish scientist E. Melin, who used a simple chamber consisting of two flasks connected to each other. In one of them, a sterile pine seedling was grown and a fungus was introduced in the form of mycelium taken from a young fruiting body at the transition point of the cap to the stem, and in the other there was a liquid for the necessary soil moisture. Subsequently, scientists who continued to work on the synthesis of mycorrhiza made various improvements to the structure of such a device, which made it possible to conduct experiments under more controlled conditions and for a longer time.
When using the Melin method, by 1953, the relationship of tree species with 47 species of fungi from 12 genera was experimentally proven. To date, it is known that mycorrhiza with tree species can form more than 600 species of fungi from such genera as fly agaric, rowing, hygrophores, some lactic (for example, milk mushrooms), russula, etc., and it turned out that each can form mycorrhiza not with one, but with various breeds trees. In this regard, all records were broken by the marsupial fungus, which has sclerotia, granular coenococcus, which, under experimental conditions, formed mycorrhiza with 55 species of tree species. The greatest specialization is characterized by sublarch butterdish, which forms mycorrhiza with larch and with cedar pine.
Some genera of fungi are not able to form mycorrhiza - govorushki, kollybia, omfalia, etc.
And yet, despite such a wide specialization, the effect of different mycorrhiza-forming fungi on a higher plant is not the same. So, in the mycorrhiza of Scots pine, formed by the butter dish, the absorption of phosphorus from hard-to-reach compounds occurs better than when the fly agaric participates in the formation of mycorrhiza. There are other facts that confirm this. It is very important to take this into account in practice and when accepting the mycorrhization of tree species for their better development it is necessary to select such a mushroom for a particular breed, which would have the most beneficial effect on it.
It has now been established that mycorrhizal hymenomycetes do not form fruiting bodies under natural conditions without connection with tree roots, although their mycelium can exist saprotrophically. That is why until now it was impossible to grow milk mushrooms, mushrooms, porcini, boletus and other valuable types of edible mushrooms. However, in principle this is possible. Someday, even in the not too distant future, people will learn to give the mycelium all that it gets from cohabitation with the roots of trees, and make it bear fruit. In any case, such experiments are being conducted under laboratory conditions.
As for tree species, spruce, pine, larch, fir, and possibly most other conifers are considered to be highly mycotrophic, and oak, beech and hornbeam from deciduous species. Birch, elm, hazel, aspen, poplar, linden, willow, alder, mountain ash, bird cherry are weakly mycotrophic. These tree species have mycorrhiza in typical forest conditions, but in parks, gardens, and when growing as individual plants, they may not have it. In such fast-growing species as poplar and eucalyptus, the absence of mycorrhiza is often associated with their rapid consumption of carbohydrates formed during intensive growth, i.e., carbohydrates do not have time to accumulate in the roots, which is necessary condition for the settlement of the fungus on them and the formation of mycorrhiza.
What are the relationships between the components in mycorrhiza? One of the first hypotheses about the nature of mycorrhiza formation was proposed in 1900 by the German biologist E. Stahl. It was as follows: in the soil there is fierce competition between various organisms in the struggle for water and mineral salts. It is especially pronounced in the roots of higher plants and mycelium of fungi in humus soils, where there are usually a lot of fungi. Those plants that had a strong root system and good transpiration did not suffer much in the conditions of such competition, and those with a relatively weak root system and low transpiration, i.e., plants that were not able to successfully absorb soil solutions, left the predicament, forming mycorrhiza with a powerfully developed system of hyphae penetrating the soil and increasing the absorption capacity of the root. The most vulnerable point of this hypothesis is that there is no direct relationship between the absorption of water and the absorption of mineral salts. Thus, rapidly absorbing and rapidly evaporating water plants are not the most armed in the competition for mineral salts.
Other hypotheses were based on the ability of fungi to act with their enzymes on the lignin-protein complexes of the soil, destroy them and make them available to higher plants. There were also suggestions, which were confirmed later, that the fungus and the plant can exchange growth substances, vitamins. Fungi, as heterotrophic organisms that need ready-made organic matter, receive primarily carbohydrates from a higher plant. This was confirmed not only by experiments, but also by direct observations. For example, if trees grow in heavily shaded places in the forest, the degree of mycorrhiza formation is greatly reduced, since carbohydrates do not have time to accumulate in the roots in the proper amount. The same applies to fast-growing tree species. Consequently, in sparse forest plantations, mycorrhiza forms better, faster and more abundantly, and therefore the process of mycorrhiza formation can improve during thinning.
Mycorrhiza is a symbiosis of vascular plant roots with certain fungi. Many tree species do not develop well without mycorrhiza. Mycorrhiza is known in most groups of vascular plants. Only a few flowering families do not form it, such as cruciferous and sedge. Many plants can develop normally without mycorrhiza, but with a good supply of mineral elements, especially phosphorus.
Mycorrhiza in appearance and structure is different. In tree species, mycorrhiza develops more often, forming a dense sheath of thin threads around the root. Such mycorrhiza is called exotrophic (from the Greek "exo" - external and "trophe" - food), as it settles on the surface of the organisms that feed it. Mycorrhiza, the hyphae of which are inside the cells of the plants that feed it, is called endotrophic - internal. There are also transitional forms of mycorrhiza.
Several dozen species of fungi are involved in the formation of mycorrhiza, mainly from the class of basidiomycetes. In some plants, ascomycetes, phycomycetes and imperfect fungi take part in the formation of mycorrhiza.
Edible mushrooms are widely known: in the birch forest - boletus, in aspen - boletus. The main mycorrhiza-forming organisms are camelina, white fungus, butterdish, fly agaric and others. They can occur on one tree species, and on many.
The symbiosis of the roots of higher plants with fungi has developed historically, on peat and humus soils, nitrogen on these soils can be available to plants thanks to fungi.
It is believed that fungi supply plants with mineral nutrients, especially on soils with hard-to-reach forms of phosphorus, potassium, and participate in nitrogen metabolism.
In relation to mycorrhiza, woody plants are divided into: mycotrophic (pine, larch, spruce, fir, oak, etc.), weakly mycotrophic (birch, maple, linden, elm, bird cherry, etc.), non-mycotrophic (ash, legumes, etc.).
Mycotrophic plants suffer in the absence of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil, their growth and development are severely inhibited. Weakly mycotrophic can grow in the absence of mycorrhiza, but with it they develop more successfully.
Mycorrhiza is of great importance in the life of forest species. The presence of mycorrhiza and its deep study as a phenomenon of cohabitation with plants was first discovered and carried out by Kamensky (1881). He studied the interaction of mycorrhiza under spruce, beech and some other conifers.
Mycorrhiza is characteristic of the entire group of conifers, as well as oak, beech, birch, etc. It has been established that normal development of most woody plants is impossible without mycorrhiza. It contributes to a better supply of moisture and nutrients to the plant.
Mycorrhizae are produced by different types mushrooms, mainly cap mushrooms, widespread in our forests. On the roots of forest species, mushroom plexuses (mycelia) are formed annually, which in the spring are introduced into the tissues and cells of the sucking extremities of the roots, wrapping them in mushroom caps. By autumn, the mycorrhiza dies off.
Mycorrhiza performs the function of roots. It supplies forest species with water and, consequently, with nutrients dissolved in water, causes a stronger branching of the root system, contributing to this increase in the active surface of the roots in contact with the soil, destroys the humus substances of the soil and turns them into compounds available to trees. It is believed that mycorrhiza protects trees from toxic substances in the soil.
Cohabitation of roots with fungi causes faster growth of trees. Back in 1902, G. N. Vysotsky found that in the steppe regions, oak and pine seedlings take root better and grow well if mycorrhiza is present on their roots.
Numerous domestic studies, especially recently, have shown that normal growth most tree species - oak, hornbeam, conifers is impossible without mycorrhiza. Normally develop without mycorrhiza euonymus, acacia, fruit trees and some other breeds. They can grow without mycorrhiza, but nevertheless it is formed by linden, birch, elm, most of the shrubs.
Mycorrhiza has acquired great importance in connection with field-protective afforestation, especially in the steppe, where the soil does not contain mycorrhiza.
For the success of steppe afforestation, the most important event is the infection of sown areas with mycorrhiza.
The fungus also, as a result of symbiosis with the root system of a woody plant, apparently uses some nitrogen-free substances present in the root system of a woody plant.
Plants with mycorrhiza on their roots are mycotrophic plants, plants without mycorrhiza are autotrophic. Mycorrhiza has not been found in leguminous plants, but special nodules with nitrogen-fixing bacteria are formed on their roots. Ash, privet, euonymus, skumpia, apricot, mulberry and other woody plants do not form mycorrhiza, even if they grow in forest conditions.
Many forest species (elm and other elms, maple, linden, alder, aspen, birch, mountain ash, apple and pear, willow, poplar, etc.) form mycorrhiza in forest conditions. Under conditions unfavorable for the development of mycorrhiza, they grow without mycorrhiza.
It is obvious that the knowledge of these factors is necessary for the arborist when carrying out silvicultural work, and especially on non-forest areas, where it is necessary to add mycorrhizal soil when growing mycotrophic plants in a nursery or directly in planting or sown areas.
1. What is mycorrhiza?
2. Mycorrhizal fungi, or symbiotrophs.
3. The role of mycorrhiza in plant life.
Mycorrhiza (from the Greek mykes - mushroom and rhiza - root), mushroom root, mutually beneficial cohabitation (symbiosis) of the mycelium of the fungus with the root of a higher plant. There are ectotrophic (external) mycorrhiza, in which the fungus braids the integumentary tissue of the endings of young roots and penetrates into the intercellular spaces of the outermost layers of the cortex, and endotrophic (internal), which is characterized by the introduction of mycelium (hyphae of the fungus) into the cells. Ectotrophic mycorrhiza is characteristic of many trees (oak, spruce, pine, birch), shrubs (willow), some shrubs (dryad) and herbaceous plants (viviparous buckwheat). The young roots of these plants usually branch, their endings thicken, the growing part of the roots is wrapped in a thick dense mushroom cover, from which fungal hyphae extend into the soil and along the intercellular spaces to the root to a depth of one or more layers of the bark, forming the so-called. Hartig network; root hairs die off (euectotrophic type of Mycorrhiza). In the arctic shrub of an arctic and herbaceous plant, the wintergreen of the large-flowered hyphae of the fungus penetrates not only into the intercellular spaces, but also into the cells of the cortex (ectoendotrophic type of Mycorrhiza). Ectotrophic mycorrhiza form more often hymenomycetes (genera Boletus, Lactarius, Russula, Amanita, etc.), less often - gasteromycetes. In the formation of Mycorrhiza on the roots of one plant, not one, but several types of fungi can participate. However, as a rule, only certain mycorrhiza-forming fungi, symbionts of these plant species, are found in plant communities.
With the development of endotrophic mycorrhiza, the shape of the roots does not change, the root hairs usually do not die off, the mushroom cover and the "Hartig's network" are not formed; hyphae of the fungus penetrate into the cells of the bovine parenchyma. In plants of the heather, wintergreen, lingonberry and shiksha families, the hyphae of the fungus form balls in the cells, which are later digested by the plant (ericoid type of Mycorrhiza). Phycomycetes (genera Endogone, Pythium) participate in the formation of this type of Mycorrhiza. In plants of the orchid family, fungal hyphae from the soil penetrate into the seed, forming balls, which are then digested by seed cells. Of the fungi, this type of mycorrhiza is characteristic of imperfect (genus Rhizoctonia) and less often - basidial (genus Armillaria, etc.). The most common in nature - in many annual and perennial herbs, shrubs and trees of various families - is the phycomycete type of Mycorrhiza, in which fungal hyphae penetrate through the cells of the root epidermis, localizing in the intercellular spaces and cells of the middle layers of the cow parenchyma. Mycorrhiza has a beneficial effect on the plant: due to the developed mycelium, the absorbing surface of the root increases and the flow of water and nutrients into the plant increases. Mycorrhiza-forming fungi are probably capable of decomposing some soil organic compounds inaccessible to the plant, produce substances such as vitamins and growth activators. The fungus, on the other hand, uses some substances (possibly carbohydrates) that it extracts from the root of the plant. When cultivating a forest on soil that does not contain mycorrhiza-forming fungi, small amounts of forest land are introduced into it, for example, when sowing acorns, land from an old oak forest.
Mycorrhizal fungi, or symbiotrophs.
A special group of forest soil fungi are very numerous mycorrhizal fungi. This is one of the main groups of mushrooms in the forest. Mycorrhiza - a symbiosis of the roots of higher plants with fungi - is formed in most plants (with the exception of aquatic ones), both woody and herbaceous (especially perennial). At the same time, the mycelium located in the soil comes into direct contact with the roots of higher plants. Three types of mycorrhiza are distinguished according to how this contact is carried out: endotrophic, ectotrophic and ectoendotrophic.
In endotrophic mycorrhiza, which are characteristic of most herbaceous plants, and especially of the orchid family, the fungus spreads mainly inside the root tissues and relatively little goes outside. The roots bear normal root hairs. For most orchid species, such mycorrhiza is obligate, i.e. the seeds of these plants cannot germinate and develop in the absence of the fungus. For many other herbaceous plants, the presence of the fungus is not so necessary. Herbaceous plants enter into mycorrhizal symbiosis with microscopic fungi that do not form large fruiting bodies. In endotrophic mycorrhiza, biologically active substances such as vitamins produced by the fungus are probably of great importance for the higher plant. In part, the fungus supplies the higher plant with nitrogenous substances, since part of the hyphae of the fungus located in the root cells is digested by them. The fungus, in turn, receives organic substances - carbohydrates - from the higher plant.
Ectotrophic mycorrhiza is distinguished by the presence of an outer sheath of fungal hyphae on the root. From this sheath, free hyphae extend into the surrounding soil. The root does not have its own root hairs. Such mycorrhiza is characteristic of woody plants and is rarely found in herbaceous plants.
The transition between these types of mycorrhiza is ectoendotrophic mycorrhiza, which is more common than purely ectotrophic. Fungal hyphae with such mycorrhiza densely braid the root from the outside and at the same time give abundant branches penetrating the inside of the root. Such mycorrhiza is found in most tree species. In this mycorrhiza, the fungus receives carbon nutrition from the root, since itself, being a heterotroph, cannot synthesize organic substances from inorganic ones. Its external free hyphae diverge widely in the soil from the root, replacing the latter with root hairs. These free hyphae receive water, mineral salts, and soluble organic substances (mainly nitrogenous) from the soil. Some of these substances enter the root, and some are used by the fungus itself to build mycelium and fruiting bodies.
Most tree species form mycorrhiza with mycorrhizae of cap mushrooms - macromycetes from the class of basidiomycetes, the order group hymenomycetes. The soil in the forest, especially near the roots of trees, is permeated with mycorrhizal fungi, and numerous fruiting bodies of these fungi appear on the surface of the soil. These are pinking boletus (Leccinum scabrum), red boletus (Leccinum aurantiacum), real camelina (Lactarius deliciosus), many types of russula (genus Russula) and many other hat mushrooms found only in the forest. Significantly fewer mycorrhizal fungi are in the order group Gasteromycetes. These are mainly species of the genus Scleroderma. Warty puffball (see description of common puffball) enters into mycorrhizal symbiosis with broad-leaved species. Edible species of the genus Melanogaster (Melanogaster) also form mycorrhiza mainly with the roots of hardwoods. Their semi-subterranean fruiting bodies develop in the soil under a layer of leaf litter or shallow in the soil, usually in deciduous forests. Melanogaster dubious (M. ambiguus) is especially common in oak and hornbeam forests from May to October. Its black-brown fruiting bodies, 1-3 cm in diameter, smell of garlic and have a pleasant spicy taste. A closely related species, Melanogaster bromeyanus (M. broomeianus), also found in deciduous forests, has larger (up to 8 cm in diameter) brown fruiting bodies with a pleasant fruity odor. There are also a small number of mycorrhizal fungi in the class of marsupials (ascomycetes). These are mainly species with underground fruiting bodies, belonging to the order of truffles (Tuberales). Black, or real, truffle (Tuber melanosporum) grows in forests along with oak, beech, hornbeam on calcareous gravelly soil, mainly in the south of France; it is not found on the territory of Russia. White truffle (Choiromyces meandriformis), common in Russia, grows in deciduous forests with birch, poplar, elm, linden, willow, mountain ash, hawthorn. For mycorrhizal fungi, such a symbiosis is mandatory. If their mycelium can develop without the participation of tree roots, then fruiting bodies in this case usually do not form. Related to this are the failures of attempts to artificially breed the most valuable edible forest mushrooms, such as the white mushroom (Boletus edulis). It forms mycorrhiza with many tree species: birch, oak, hornbeam, beech, pine, spruce.
Some types of fungi form mycorrhiza with only one particular breed. So, the larch oiler (Suillus grevillei) forms mycorrhiza only with larch. For trees, symbiosis with fungi also matters: experiments on forest belts and forest plantations have shown that without mycorrhiza, trees develop worse, lag behind in growth, they are weakened, and more susceptible to diseases.
The role of mycorrhiza in plant life
The existence of mycorrhiza, fungi living on the roots of plants, has been known for quite some time. This phenomenon - the commonwealth, or symbiosis of fungi and higher plants, was discovered by scientists in the middle of the 19th century. However, for a long time it remained just a known fact and nothing more. Studies of recent decades have shown what an enormous role it plays in plant life. The first discoveries were made with the help of a microscope, when fungal threads were found braiding the roots of plants. The microscope made it possible to see another type of mycorrhiza that lives inside the root, penetrating and growing inside the root cells. The first species was called ectomycorrhiza, that is, external mycorrhiza. It has been found on the roots of almost all woody plants. Hyphae of the fungus braid the root, forming a continuous sheath. The thinnest threads stretch from this cover in all directions, penetrating the soil for tens of meters around the tree. Those mushrooms that we collect in the forest are the fruiting bodies of ectomycorrhizae, in which spores are formed. They can be likened to the underwater part of an iceberg. Anyone who wants to plant edible mushrooms on their site must first acquire an appropriate tree, then a corresponding mycorrhiza should form on it, and only then, perhaps, fruiting bodies will grow on it. The second type of mycorrhiza is endomycorrhiza, that is, internal mycorrhiza is characteristic mainly of herbaceous plants, including most cultivated plants. It is of much older origin. Both types of mycorrhiza can often be found on the same plant.
When scientists found a method to identify the DNA of mycorrhizal fungi, they were amazed at their omnipresence. First, it turned out that about 90% of all plant species have mycorrhiza on their roots. Secondly, it was found that mycorrhiza has existed for as long as land plants have existed. Endomycorrhiza DNA has been found in the fossil remains of the first land plants, which are about 400 million years old. These first plants appear to have been similar to lichens, representing a symbiosis of algae and fungus. Algae, through photosynthesis, creates organic substances to feed the fungus, and the fungus plays the role of a root, extracting mineral elements from the substrate on which the lichen has settled. The fungus accompanied the plant throughout its terrestrial life. Even when the plants had roots, the fungus did not leave it, helping to extract nutrients from the soil. At present, only a few plant species have gained independence and managed to do without mycorrhiza. This is a number of species from the families of haze, cabbage and amaranth. Actually, it is not entirely clear why this independence is needed, since mycorrhiza greatly increases the absorptive capacity of the roots.
Fungal hyphae are more than an order of magnitude thinner than root hairs and therefore are able to penetrate into the finest pores of soil minerals, which are present even in each individual grain of sand. In one cubic centimeter of soil surrounding the roots, the total length of mycorrhiza threads is from 20 to 40 meters. Fungal filaments gradually destroy soil minerals, extracting from them mineral plant nutrients that are not in the soil solution, including such an important element as phosphorus. Mycorrhiza plays a very significant role in supplying plants with phosphorus, as well as a number of trace elements, such as zinc and cobalt. It is clear that the plant does not skimp and pays well for this service, giving the mycorrhiza from 20 to 30% of the carbon absorbed by it in the form of soluble organic compounds.
Further research has brought even more unexpected and surprising discoveries regarding the role of mycorrhiza in the plant world. It turned out that the threads of fungi, intertwined underground, can carry out the connection of one plant with another by transferring and exchanging organic and mineral compounds. The idea of plant communities has been illuminated with a completely new light. These are not just plants growing side by side, but a single organism, connected into a single whole by an underground network of numerous finest threads. A kind of mutual aid has been discovered, where the stronger plants feed the weaker ones. Plants with very small seeds are especially in need of this. The microscopic seedling could not have survived if it had not been taken care of by the general nutrient network at first. The exchange between plants has been proven by experiments with radioactive isotopes.
Scientists have discovered several types of plants, including orchids, which throughout their lives are fed almost exclusively by mycorrhiza, although they have a photosynthetic apparatus and could synthesize organic substances themselves.
Mycorrhiza helps plants to endure stress, drought, lack of nutrition. Scientists believe that without mycorrhiza, majestic tropical forests, forests of oaks, eucalyptus, sequoias could not withstand the inevitable climatic stresses in nature.
However, in the plant community, just as in the human community, conflicts are inevitable. Mycorrhiza has a certain selectivity, and if a certain type of mycorrhiza has spread in a plant community, this does not mean that it will be equally favorable to all plant species. It is assumed that the species composition of plant communities largely depends on the properties of mycorrhiza. Some species that do not match her, she can simply survive without supplying them with food. Plants of this objectionable species gradually weaken and die. For a very long time, mycorrhizal fungi could not be grown under artificial conditions. But since the 1980s, these difficulties have been overcome. Firms have sprung up that produce some types of mycorrhiza for sale. Ectomycorrhiza is produced for use in forest nurseries and it has been found that its introduction into the root zone significantly improves the growth of seedlings.
Do gardeners need mycorrhizal preparations? Indeed, under natural conditions, mycorrhiza is found in all soils. Its spores are so small and light that they are carried by the wind to any distance. In a healthy garden where chemicals are not abused, mycorrhizae are always present in the soil. However, it has been found that high doses of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, especially fungicides, inhibit the development of mycorrhiza. It does not exist in soils deprived of fertility as a result of inept management, as a result of construction, in soils deprived of humus for one reason or another. The experience of gardeners in the United States, where there are several commercial firms producing mycorrhiza for gardeners, says that under extreme conditions, the introduction of mycorrhizal preparations into the soil gives a very good effect. Gardeners who have received lands deprived of fertility for use or are located in areas with an unfavorable climate have seen from their own experience that inoculation with mycorrhiza makes it possible for them to have a blooming garden even in these unfavorable conditions. Usually the preparation of mycorrhiza is in the form of a powder containing spores. They are treated with seeds or roots of seedlings. For ornamental and vegetable plants, endomycorrhiza preparations are used, for trees and shrubs, ectomycorrhiza preparations are used. However, in order to get a good effect from mycorrhiza, an important condition must be met - to switch to an organic gardening method. This means applying organic fertilizers, not digging up the soil (only loosening), mulching, and refusing to use high doses of mineral fertilizers and fungicides.
The role of mycorrhiza in plant life.
The symbiosis of plants and fungi has already existed for 400 million years and contributes to a wide variety of life forms on Earth. In 1845 it was discovered by German scientists. Mycorrhizal endo fungi penetrate directly into the root of the plant and form a "mycelium" (mycelium), which helps the roots strengthen the immune system, fight pathogens of various diseases, absorb water, phosphorus and nutrients from the soil. With the help of the fungus, the plant uses soil resources for full power. One root would not have coped with such a task; without the support of fungi, plants have to direct additional reserves to increase the root system, instead of increasing the ground part. Mycorrhiza improves soil quality, aeration, porosity, and the volume of the total absorbing surface of the plant root increases a thousand times! Due to the active human intervention in natural processes: the use of heavy equipment, the application of chemical fertilizers, construction works, laying of pipelines, asphalt and concrete, air and water pollution, construction of dams, tillage, soil erosion, etc. - plants began to be exposed to unprecedented stress, their immunity weakens and leads to death.
The German company Mykoplant AG, the world's leading manufacturer, sells the endo fungus Mykoplant ® BT, an innovative product, an environmentally friendly natural preparation, an organic plant growth regulator approved by the German Ministry of Agriculture. Mycoplant AG is the only company in the world that produces granular mycorrhizal preparations. Mykoplant ® BT are spores of the endomycorrhiza fungus (Glomus family) embedded in 3-5 mm clay (carrier). It took decades of painstaking research work to elucidate the improving qualities of mycorrhizal fungi. The granular form of the drug is protected by an international patent. The drug is grown in greenhouses.
Mykoplant ® BT promotes the formation of mycorrhiza in 90% of plants and trees.
Does not have phytopathogens and pathogenic microorganisms.
Not an ounce of chemistry.
No negative impact on people, animals and the environment.
Non-toxic, does not accumulate in plants.
Positive effect of mycorrhiza:
Saves water up to 50%
Stores plant nutrients
Increases growth and improves plant quality
Increases resistance to drought, lack of drainage
Increases resistance to salts and heavy metals
Improves appearance, taste and aroma
Improves stress tolerance and overall plant immunity
Improves disease tolerance
Reduces infection in roots and foliage
Accelerates the survival of plants in a new place
Increases yield, growth of green mass
Accelerates root development and flowering by 3-4 weeks
Performs well in salty or waste-infested soil
Applied once with perennials
What does a mushroom do? 1. Stores additional water (savings up to 50% depending on the region) and nutrients for the plant. 2. Dissolves and supplies the plant with inaccessible mineral nutrients, such as phosphates. 3. Protects the plant against underground pests (eg nematodes).
What does a plant do? Provides the fungus with carbohydrates (glucose)
To facilitate penetration into the root, the product must be in direct contact with it. Especially effective in the spring early stages plant development, but is successfully applied at any stage of plant development. Mycorrhiza activity is determined by the number of spores per cm3 of the preparation (in the USA only 10 spores per cm3 are produced and the price of one liter of product in the USA is $120). Does the number of spores in a product matter? Yes, the number of spores is important, as the efficiency of colony formation and the level of bioactivity depend on it.
Mycorrhizal fungi are already in the soil. Why then inoculate cultures with the drug? While mycorrhizal fungi can theoretically be found in the ground, not all types are best suited for your crop. Mycoplant is made up of many Glomus families, so successful colonization can be considered virtually guaranteed. In which countries is the drug already used? Germany, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Greece, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt, Holland.
What is the unit of measure for the drug? It is customary to measure in liters, which is equal to approx. 0.33 kg
Who else in the world produces mycorrhizal preparation in granular form? Nobody; Mycoplant AG is the only company in the world that has succeeded.
How many years has the company been in existence? The company was registered in 2000.
Is there an ISO certificate for the product? Currently not, because the quality of the product is tested by the ISO-certified German Institute for Innovative Technology ITA.
Are all aspects of the influence of mycorrhiza on the plant known? This is still a long way off. Scientists continue to study the unique natural mechanism of interaction between the drug and the plant, and all the positive aspects of the symbiosis still have to be guessed.
Unlike chemicals, the drug cannot be overdosed. Without loosening the soil, when applying the drug to the soil for perennial plants, it is used only once, then the fungus reproduces itself underground. The technology of using the drug is carried out with the participation of German specialists. Before applying the granulate, a soil analysis is carried out and it is calculated which crops to plant. In each case, a suitable substrate and host plant are needed; it is important to conduct a variety of experiments during the cultivation period in different climatic zones. Burnt clay is used as a spore carrier.
Benefits of granulate:
1. Long shelf life
2. Light weight (350kg/m3)
3. Convenient transportation
4. Convenient application
5. Can be selectively disinfected
6. You can change the number of spores depending on the colonies
7. Can be easily dosed
8. Can be applied with technical means
Application methods:
1. Applying the granulate close to the root into a pot hole or directly into the soil.
2. Mechanized introduction into previously plowed soil.
3. Mixing granulate with grain/seed before sowing.
Application technology:
The use of the drug does not require special equipment. It is important to ensure contact between the fungus and the roots. Drill holes in the tops of an imaginary five-pointed star at a distance of 1-1.5 meters from the tree trunk (diameter = 5-10 cm, depth 30-50 cm), add 100-200g of granulate to each hole, cover with soil, pour water. Results appear in 5-6 weeks. 1 liter of the drug corresponds to 300-330 grams of the product.
One-time use depends on the volume of the root:
1. Seedling 10 - 25 ml/plant
2. Young bushes 25 - 100 ml/bush
3. Young trees 100 - 250 ml/tree
All fungal species described in this article are mycorrhizal. In other words, they form mycorrhiza (or mushroom root) with certain tree species and live with them for years in a strong symbiosis.
Mushrooms receive organics from the tree: carbohydrates in the form of tree sap with sugars, amino acids, some vitamins, growth and other substances they need. The tree, on the other hand, extracts nitrogenous products, minerals, phosphorus and potassium, and water with the help of mycorrhiza.
Mushrooms attach their souls to certain forest species and cannot live without them. But at the same time, they are very picky: they love well-heated soil rich in forest humus.
Many factors influence the development of fungi: air humidity and temperature, lighting conditions, soil moisture, and so on.
Without favorite tree species, mycorrhizal fungi do not bear fruit at all. In turn, trees often wither and get sick without their mushroom brothers. So larch and pine seedlings, which do not have mycorrhiza, simply die on nutrient-poor soil. And vice versa, in close collaboration with fungi, they successfully develop in the same places.
The host tree stimulates the growth of mycelium (mycelium) only if it lacks minerals obtained from the soil. Therefore, porcini mushrooms are more likely to appear on poor sandy soil than on fertile soil. The question arises, how to make wild mushrooms grow in the garden?
There is only one way - to artificially sow the mycelium to their green partners. Growing mycorrhizal fungi is possible only outdoors and under mycorrhizal trees.
The main thing is to preserve the inseparable pair of mushroom - tree, without which the full development of mushroom culture is impossible. This means that it is necessary to create favorable conditions close to those in which these mushrooms exist in the wild. To do this, at a minimum, you need the presence in your garden of the appropriate tree species - birch, aspen, pine, spruce, larch, and so on.
In addition to cultivating valuable and popular mycorrhizal mushrooms, mushroom growers have repeatedly tried to grow yellow chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius), white mushrooms (Russula delica) and real milk mushrooms (Lactarius resimus) - under a birch tree, horn-shaped funnel funnels (Craterellus cornucopioides) - under several deciduous species; polish mushrooms suckling and chestnut; russula under the most different breeds trees and black milk mushrooms under spruce and birch.
PORCINI
The most important boletus mushroom in the Russian forest is the white mushroom (Boletus edulis), otherwise it is called a boletus or ladybug.
It grows from the beginning of June to the end of October in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests, in parks and gardens, along paths and abandoned roads, on the edges, along the slopes of ditches, in old dugouts and trenches, sometimes in bushes, after a drought in moss along marshes and drained marshes, but not in the most damp places (under birches, pines, firs and oaks); singly and in groups, often, annually.
The cap of the porcini mushroom reaches a diameter of 10 and even 30 cm. In youth, it is round, hemispherical, cushion-shaped in maturity, and in old age it can straighten up to prostrate-convex, prostrate and depressed.
The hat is smooth, sometimes wrinkled in dry weather, more often matte, in rain it is shiny, slightly slimy. The edge of the cap is leathery, often acute-angled.
The color of the cap depends on the season, humidity and temperature, as well as on the tree species next to which the mushroom grows and forms mycorrhiza: gray-ocher, gray-brown, ocher-brown, brown, chestnut, chestnut-brown, brown-brown and dark brown, lighter towards the edge.
The coloration is often uneven, the cap may be covered with multi-colored or white blurred spots, and fade to whitish, gray-marble and greenish in late autumn. Young mushrooms grown under fallen leaves or under a birch may be uncolored and have a completely white cap.
The tubular layer is finely porous, consisting of free, deeply notched or adherent tubules up to 4 cm long.
In youth, it is white, in maturity it is yellow or yellow-greenish, in old age it is yellow-green or olive-yellow, turning brown.
The leg of the porcini fungus grows up to 10 or even 20 cm in length, up to 5 or even 10 cm in thickness.
It is entire, smooth, sometimes wrinkled, white, ocher, brownish or brownish, with a light mesh pattern, which is especially noticeable in the upper part of the stem.
The flesh is fleshy, dense, white, with a pleasant mushroom smell or almost odorless and with a nutty taste. The color on the break does not change.
BOROVIK
Boletus, or white pine fungus (Boletus pinicola), grows on sandy soils, in green and white moss, in grass in pine forests and in forests mixed with pine from mid-May with warm and humid spring to early November with warm autumn. As the latest Carpathian experience shows, it can also grow under other tree species, such as spruces and beeches.
The cap of the boletus reaches a diameter of 20 cm. It is very fleshy, hemispherical in youth, convex in maturity, sometimes with a tuberculate surface, cushion-shaped in old age.
The skin is smooth or velvety, in the rain it looks slightly sticky. The edge is often lighter than the middle, sometimes pinkish.
The color of the hat is burgundy, olive-brown, chestnut-brown, chocolate and dark red-brown, sometimes with a bluish and even purple tint.
Young mushrooms grown under moss may be uncolored and have a whitish or pink cap with a beautiful marbled pattern.
The tubular layer is white in youth, darkens to yellowish with age, and then to a yellowish-olive color.
Tubes up to 4 cm long, but noticeably shortened where they grow to the stem.
The leg of the boletus grows up to 12 cm in length. It is thick, very dense, club-shaped, has a strong thickening at the base; white, white-pinkish, yellow-pinkish, yellow-brown or reddish-brown and covered with a noticeable reddish or yellow-brown reticulate pattern.
The flesh is dense, white, reddish under the skin of the cap and stem, does not change color when broken, has a pleasant taste and a sharp smell of raw potatoes. ON A NOTE
White mushroom and boletus are considered one of the highest quality, delicious and nutritious mushrooms. They make excellent soups with a light, clear broth, fried, dried (very fragrant), frozen, salted and marinated. With proper drying, the flesh remains light, unlike mushrooms and boletus.
You can fry without pre-boiling, or boil for 10 minutes to be safe. In some countries Western Europe porcini mushrooms are allowed raw in salads, but I would save my stomach from such shocks.
boletus birch
One of the most common, most unpretentious, but highly respected tubular fungi is the common boletus (Leccinum scabrum).
The people gave him many names: obabok, grandmother, spikelet, birch, cellar and gray mushroom.
The boletus grows in birch and mixed with birch forests, under single birches in the forest, in shrubs and light forests, including the tundra, along roads and ditches, in gardens and on grassy city lawns from mid-May to the first decade of November, singly and in groups, annually.
The cap of the boletus reaches 10 or even 20 cm in diameter. In youth, it is hemispherical, in maturity it becomes convex or cushion-shaped; usually it is smooth, dry, matte, slightly sticky in the rain.
The hat is yellow-brown, brownish, gray-brown, brown-brown, chestnut-brown, dark brown and black-brown, sometimes almost white with a pinkish tinge and gray, often spotted.
The peel from the cap is not removed during cooking.
Tubules up to 3 cm long, notched or nearly free at the stem. The tubular layer in youth is finely porous, whitish and grayish, darkening in maturity to dirty gray or gray-brown, often with whitish spots, convex, spongy, easily separated from the pulp.
The leg of the boletus grows up to 12 or even 20 cm long, and up to 4 cm thick. It is cylindrical, slightly thinner towards the cap and sometimes thickens noticeably towards the base, hard, solid, whitish with longitudinal whitish fibrous scales, which darken to dark with age. gray, brown, black-brown and even black.
The flesh is watery, in youth it is dense, tender, rather quickly becomes loose, flabby, and in the stem it turns into hard-fibrous. It is white or grayish-white, at the base of the stem it can be yellowish or greenish, does not change color at the break; with a slight pleasant mushroom smell and taste.
Porcini mushrooms and boletus compete with each other, so it is better to sow their spores under birch trees in different parts of the garden. Boletus mushrooms have an undeniable advantage over noble mushrooms and aspen mushrooms - with proper care, its yields will be more frequent and higher.
With regular watering, boletus will appear under birches and on their own.
Fruiting, the boletus takes a lot of potassium out of the soil. If the garden is not located in lowlands rich in potassium, then at the beginning of each season it is necessary to replenish the reserves of potassium and other minerals.
To do this, the soil around the tree is watered with two buckets of solution (at the rate of 10 g of potassium chloride and 15 g of superphosphate per 1 bucket).
When preparing " seed» From old caps, the spores of boletus boletus mostly remain mixed with the pulp and precipitate poorly, so you need to use a suspension of their spores along with the pulp.
NOTE
There are more than ten types of boletus, including the more famous ones, such as blackhead, marsh, smoky and pinking.
Of these, most often found in gardens is not the most delicious marsh boletus (Leccinum holopus), which is best harvested at a young age and preferably one hat.
Tests
610-1. In what organisms is the body represented by mycelium?
A) algae
B) bacteria
B) mushrooms
D) protozoa
Answer
610-2. Vegetative propagation in fungi is carried out using
A) dispute
B) gametes
B) mushrooms
D) fruit bodies
Answer
610-3. The fruiting body is characteristic of
A) bacteria
B) mushrooms
B) the simplest
D) Algae
Answer
610-4. The fungus penicillium is composed of
A) various tissues and organs
B) non-nuclear cells on which sporangia are located
C) multicellular mycelium and racemose sporangia
D) multicellular mycelium and fruiting body
Answer
610-5. Which of the following representatives belongs to the fungi kingdom?
A) sphagnum
B) streptococcus
B) penicillium
D) chlorella
Answer
610-6. Which fungi do not form mycorrhiza with woody plants?
A) boletus
B) boletus
B) foxes
D) tinder fungi
Answer
610-7. Consider the drawing. What letter represents the mushroom on it?
Answer
610-8. What is the function of the cap of the fruiting body of the boletus?
A) serves to attract animals and humans
B) captures solar energy, providing photosynthesis
B) is the site of spore formation
D) provides air supply
Answer
610-9. Which of the following fungi does not form mycorrhiza?
A) tinder
B) boletus
B) boletus
D) white
Answer
610-10. What are hyphae?
A) threads that make up the body of the fungus
B) sporulation organs of the fungus
C) organs of attachment of the fungus to the substrate
D) photosynthetic part of the lichen
Answer
610-11. Examine the micrograph of a mucor fungus. What is contained in the black balls of this mushroom?
A) nutrients
B) water with mineral salts
B) microscopic spores
D) microscopic seeds
Answer
610-12. What fungus is classified as tubular?
A) russula
B) boletus
B) autumn honey agaric
D) champignon
Answer
610-13. What is the function of the fruiting body of the boletus fungus?
A) structural
B) trophic
B) excretory
D) generative
Answer
610-14. When picking mushrooms, it is important not to damage the mycelium, as it
A) serves as a site for the formation of disputes
B) serves as food for animals living in the soil
B) absorbs nutrients from the soil
D) holds together lumps of soil and protects it from erosion
Answer
610-15. Settling on stumps, mushrooms use them for
A) attract insect pollinators
B) obtaining finished organic substances
C) obtaining energy from inorganic substances
D) protection against pathogenic bacteria
Answer
610-16. Why on a rotten stump can often be found a large number of honey fungus?
A) a rotting stump gives off heat, which activates the growth of mushrooms
B) a rotting stump gives off heat, which activates the reproduction of mushrooms
C) honey mushrooms eat organic matter dead plant
D) the mycelium mushroom forms mycorrhiza with the roots of the stump
Answer
610-17. Why are white mushrooms often found in the oak forest?
A) There is a lot of light in the oak forest.
B) Ceps with oak roots form mycorrhiza.
C) Ceps in the oak forest have no competitors.
D) There are no animals in the oak forest that feed on porcini mushrooms.
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