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Summary of benefits of mycorrhizal fungi

In nature over 90% of plants depend on a group of fungi on their roots called mycorrhizal fungi. In most landscape situations these fungi may take years to naturally colonise plants. If rootgrow Professional is used at planting time within 2-4 weeks after treatment the mycorrhizal fungi will grow into a secondary root system increasing the active root area of the plant by up to 700 times. This one off treatment lasts for the lifetime of the plant and is an essential component in the establishment of a sustainable planting programme. This leads to

1. reduced mortality of treated plants
   The secondary fungal root system provided by the mycorrhizal fungi will ensure water and nutrients are transported to the plant in the critical early establishment phase of growth. This will lead to fewer losses of plants even under difficult field conditions.
2. reduced need for aftercare
   The mycorrhizal fungi will enable a treated plant to compete better against early colonising weeds. Many early coloniser weeds are weakly or non mycorrhizal plants and the beneficial mycorrhizal fungi can actually suppress their growth and restrict their nutrient uptake by favouring the treated mycorrhizal plants. The secondary mycorrhizal root system of treated plants will explore a greater volume of soil than the plants own roots which will make best use of available soil moisture thereby conferring a level of drought tolerance.
3. increased stability of soils
   Mycorrhizal fungi are the basis of a healthy soil community and stabilise soils both physically and biologically. Mycorrhizal fungi secrete a form of glue into the soil which holds water and binds soil particles together enhancing nutrient availability. The ability of mycorrhizal fungi to aggregate soil particles is a key factor in points 4 and 5 below.
4. increased plant nutrient uptake especially phosphates and trace elements
   Due to the fact that a greater volume of soil is explored by a plant treated with mycorrhizal fungi this enables nutrients to be found that would normally be unavailable to the plants own roots. The ultra fine mycorrhizal root will also be able to absorb trace elements from soils that the plants own thicker coarser roots would not be able to access.
5. increased tolerance to soil borne pathogens (e.g. Rose Replant Disease)
   All plant roots have natural weaknesses (disease infection sites) that pathogens use to gain entry to the plant. Mycorrhizal fungi also use these sites to colonise a plant root and effectively block them reducing a pathogens ability to infect plants.
6. increased tolerance of polluted or contaminated sites
   PlantWorks can offer a range of remediation products which are mycorrhizal fungi adapted to growing in polluted sites. The mycorrhizal fungi will prevent toxic elements from being taken up by the plant by growing around them and in some cases growing over them and locking them up inside their own structures (compartmentalising)