Fw: mycorrhizal fungi

Hi Daffnetters,

There is now a huge volume of research on the use of trichoderma products on a very diverse crop range. I am not familiar with the commercial products available in the U S A but if the proof of the developers faith in their products is any measure of their effectiveness, Cornell University Reseachers bought the rights to market their own reseach.

The company has changed owners a few times but a research team led by Professor Gary E. Harman initiated the marketing of tricho products in the U S A. A google on Trichoderma — Cornell will give an range of sites, from the very scientific to layman level summaries.

In New Zealand, Lincoln University, Canterbury, led the research into trichoderma use. A business model ( as is the norm in these user pays times ) was established and a range of Tricho products are on the market, in N Z and overseas. The relevance of the N Z products to the daff fraternity is that much of the research was on onions, — quite a successful export crop from N Z to niche northern hemisphere markets in seasonal gaps. All the N Z daff growers using these products are pleased with the results and in our area, quite big in export onions, virtually all the commercial growers use tricho products. It is interesting to note that a different strains of tricho are being marketed in N Z and U S A The product range and a company history is at www.agrimm.com

In the U K , the Horticultural Development Company is doing a lot of daffodil research for the funding contributers. This includes Tricho research for basal rot control,particularly now that Formalin is now longer available for use with Hot Water Treatment..

Unfortunately, the results from H D C are not publicly available but a google on www.hdc.org.uk then bulbs and outdoor flowers – project results, will show the interesting range of bulb research being undertaken.

A probable indication of a commercial product containing tricho fungi will be the storage conditions for the products. As the tricho is a living fungi, extreme temperature ranges are to be avoided and it will be recommended that they be stored under standard refrigeration conditions. They will also have a limited shelf life — usually twelve months..

Daffodils are to us a very important and enjoyable part of our lives but are, in N Z and many oher countries, not a commercially significant crop.. Probably only in the U K and Holland are they a significant and recognised crop with an industry supporting the crops from bulbs to flower marketing.

Research on basal rot control with Trichoderma products, particularly relevant to daffodils, would be benificial to us all but funding, in these constrained financial times, is difficult. Funding for smaller scale research, probably more relevant to our members growing conditions, would be very welcome, I,m sure. Melissa added to the puzzle with her interesting results on Roundup and possible soil residue contaminants that may be diluting or killing beneficial soil fungi. A ‘ top up ” with tricho may be a solution, but very seldom are these problems one dimensional. We can put a man on the moon, but there is a huge amount we don,t know about the very soil that we stand on — and grow our daffs in.

Cheers

John

2 comments for “Fw: mycorrhizal fungi

  1. I buy the Cornell licensed product and use it for my seedlings and in the greenhouse.  I do dilute it as it is twice the cost of my normal mix.  The plants have grown better with much less rot than previous.  My current seedling mix is 1/2 bale 1.9 CU ft pro mix  , 1.8 cu ft composted pine bark, 1.2 cu ft turface athletics MVP, 1.0 cu ft Pro mix BX or other mycorrhizal fungi inoculated mix I have 3 available here, one from Home Depot and one each from the horticultural suppliers in town.

    My greenhouse mix cuts the pro mix and bark in half for a 1:1:1:1 mix Rot is reduced in the greenhouse as well.

    Buy the mix and use it within a few weeks. Ensure you buy it from a source that turns over its inventory.   Keep the mix and the inoculated media moist and if you leave it too long it will smell BAD.  

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