Corn Grower’s Fungus That pays Big Dividends
Mike Amaranthus, Ph.D. is adjunct
associate professor at Oregon State
University and President, Mycorrhizal Applications, Inc. Dr. Amaranthus has authored over 60 scientific
papers on mycorrhizal fungi and
their uses. He has received the
Department of Agriculture’s highest honors for scientific achievement and been featured on several
national television broadcasts.
Can a fungus help your corn crop?
Beneath the soil surface there is an invisible relationship between fungi and plants that is fundamental
to life on the planet. Unlike plants, fungi are unable
to perform photosynthesis to manufacture their food.
Instead, they derive nourishment from living or dead
organic matter, helping assure the earth’s resources
to recycle as they should. One specialized group of
fungi, called mycorrhizal fungi, partners with most
plants worldwide, including corn. This brochure provides some insight and interesting information about
these amazing “farmer’s helper fungi,” explaining
how they can add to a corn grower’s bottom line. The
symbiotic relationship between the plant root and
the fungus is called a “myco-rhiza” which literally
means “fungus-root.” These fungi are responsible for
efficiently extracting nutrients and water from the
soil and delivering them to the plant roots. In return,
they are sustained by receiving small amounts of
carbohydrates from the plants. This association allows both plants (such as corn) and fungi to thrive.
Corn Grower’s
Fungus
Tip of a root showing the Mycorrhizal hyphae attached
(Magnification = 100x)
What are they?
Incorporate the MycoApply® Certified
logo on your packaging and assure
your customers that you have selected
only the highest quality mycorrhizae with
the most diverse and effective strains available. The mycorrhizae in your products are backed
by expert technical and scientific support from the
leaders in the mycorrhiza industry, authoring over
100 technical papers and articles and accessing a
research database of over 70,000 mycorrhiza studies
from around the world.
Mycorrhizal fungi are composed of very thin filaments known as hyphae (Figure 1). The thread-like
hyphae originate inside the root cells and spread out
into the surrounding soil dramatically increasing the
surface area of the plants root system.
The mycorrhizal relationship formed with corn is
called arbuscular mycorrhizae (or sometimes “endo”
mycorrhizae).
That Pays
Big Dividends
What do they do?
The mycorrhizal relationship has a powerful effect
on the root system of corn. The fungal hyphae become the vast majority of the root’s absorption area.
Because the hyphae reach into the surrounding
soil up to 18 to 24 inches further, and are so much
thinner than feeder roots or root hairs, they are able
to access water and nutrients in the smallest of soil
crevices and pores. Just a teaspoon of healthy soil
may contain several miles of fungal hyphae! The
result is profoundly improved efficiency in the corn’s
nutrient and water uptake abilities.
It is well known that agricultural soils often contain
abundant but tightly bound soil nutrients such as
phosphorus, nitrogen, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sulfur and others that are largely
unavailable to the roots of a corn crop.
Phone: 541.476.3985 | Toll Free: 866.476.7800
Fax: 541.476.1581 | [email protected]
www.mycorrhizae.com | www.MycoApply.com
Mycorrhizal vesicles store water and nutrients inside
colonized root cells.
Printed on recycled paper containing a minimum of 30%
post consumer waste with soy and vegetable-based inks.
Science helping your plants
grow better, naturally
Visit us at
www.mycorrhizae.com
MycoApply® Liquid Endo inoculum is a
favorite among savvy corn growers. Just mix
with “pop-up” fertilizer or treat seed.
MycoApply® treated corn in photos at top can
better retain and absorb fertilizer compared to
the non-mycorrhizal corn in the lower pictures.
When colonized by mycorrhizal fungi, corn
plants become able to absorb these otherwise unavailable soil nutrients, as well as
more efficient at utilizing fertilizer inputs.
The result is often significant savings in
fertilizer costs.
Corn Grower’s Fungus That pays Big Dividends
Drought tolerance?
Every corn grower knows that the availability of water is a crop-limiting factor. Plants
in natural areas achieve levels of drought
tolerance far exceeding those in agricultural
lands. How do they do it? Part of the answer
lies in the widespread web of mycorrhizal
threads which act as a soil sponge to protect
plant communities from extended lack of
moisture. The mycorrhizal hyphae reach
into much greater volumes of soil than roots
alone and better penetrate into the tiny soil
spaces to access minute amounts of water
that are unavailable to the thicker roots.
Furthermore, the fungi allow root cells to
absorb and store water during periods of adequate soil moisture and then slowly release
it to the plant during stressful drought conditions (Figure 2 fungal vesicles). Research
confirms that the mycorrhizal relationship
contributes significantly to efficient water
use and drought protection in corn and
many other crop species. As corn growers
continue to deal with drought or other issues
related to the cost and availability of water,
mycorrhizal fungi can become a powerful
tool to improve water-use efficiency.
Does my corn crop already have
mycorrhizal fungi?
Some modern agricultural practices reduce
the biological activity in soil. Repeated
periods of fallow between crops is probably
the primary condition adversely affecting
beneficial mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi
must have a living root to survive, so when
all the roots of a crop are dead after harvest
or gone due to tillage, the fungi begin to die.
Other factors contributing to the demise of
these organisms in farm soil include applications of certain fungicides, chemical fertilizers, soil compaction and erosion. Extensive
testing of agricultural soils indicates that
intensively managed lands such as corn
fields often lack adequate populations of
mycorrhizal fungi. Once lost from a farm’s
soil, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi populations are very slow to recolonize unless there
is close access to natural areas that can act
as a source of mycorrhizal spores and hyphae to repopulate the affected area. These
fungi do not disperse spores in the wind, but
rather grow from root to root, therefore they
cannot easily move long distances back to
farm soils from undisturbed natural sites.
Unfortunately, growing crops immediately
adjacent to undisturbed natural ecosystems
is not always an option on the modern farm.
How do I use mycorrhizal inoculants
to help my corn crop?
Inoculating a corn crop with mycorrhizal
fungi is easy, low cost and can help with
many of the challenges common among
corn growers including better yields, improved crop nutrition, increased root growth
and enhanced drought tolerance. Corn roots
colonized by mycorrhizal fungi provide a
more sustainable approach to crop establishment and optimum growth. Creating a close
contact between the mycorrhizal inoculant
and the corn roots is the important thing.
Inoculating corn seed via seed treatment
or mixing the inoculum with “pop-up” or
other types of fertilizers for placement on or
near the seed in the furrow at planting are
recommended. When the corn seed sprouts
the new root becomes colonized at the very
beginning of growth receiving the maximum benefits. Inoculants are available in
liquid (MycoApply® Liquid Endo) powder
(MycoApply® Ultrafine Endo) and granular
(MycoApply® Endo) forms to accommodate
nearly every type of seed, seed-treating or
planting equipment. Because of its ease of
handling, mixing and storage, MycoApply®
Liquid Endo has become our most popular
product among corn growers. All MycoApply® inoculant products have a guaranteed
shelf life of 24 months.
What about Fungicides?
Of course, mycorrhizae involve fungal
organisms, so it stands to reason that some
fungicide products may reduce or eliminate
them from the soil and roots. Fortunately,
research and experience indicate that many
commercially
produced
fungicides
are
compatible with mycorrhizae. A list of common agricultural fungicides stating their
effects on mycorrhizae is available on the
Mycorrhizal Applications, Inc. website www.
mycorrhizae.com. Keep in mind that since
mycorrhizae do play a role in a corn plant’s
natural defense against fungal root diseases,
the need for fungicides in inoculated plantings is sometimes reduced.
Farm fungi pay
big dividends in corn...
Many corn growers across the country and
around the world are already benefiting
from the use of mycorrhizal inoculums and
use continues to increase dramatically as
more and more farms discover the advantages. Recent advancements in mycorrhizal
research and application technology make
agricultural use of mycorrhizae easier and
more cost effective than ever. The economic
return for mycorrhizal inoculation can exceed its cost on a corn crop several-fold, not
only from increased yields, but also by reducing fertilizer, water and management costs.
Research and trials by agronomists across
the country and around the globe confirm
that mycorrhizal inoculation of corn can
significantly increase yields, improve nutrient uptake (especially phosphorus) and fertilizer efficiency and dramatically improve
drought tolerance. Growers report yield
increases ranging from 5 – 40%, often while
reducing inputs and other costs. Learning
about the role of mycorrhizal fungi in corn
production and the conditions that inhibit
or promote their presence in the soil is the
first step toward a healthier crop, increased
yields and lower costs. The next step is to
add the fungi to the root zone when planting. Good soil is a precious resource containing millions of years’ worth of nutrients and
microorganism development. The successful
corn farmer who investigates this powerful
biological technology will soon develop an
appreciation for these “friendly fungi” allies.
Phone: 541.476.3985 | Toll Free: 866.476.7800 | Fax: 541.476.1581 | [email protected]
www.mycorrhizae.com | www.mycoapply.com