1. Mycorrhiza In Agriculture
Paul Reed Hepperly, PhD
Advisor, Consultant, Educator, Scientist

2. Common Natural but not Optimized
Naturally present in most fields
85% of plant species host them
Permanent Cover and no till promote
P over-fertilization can inhibit

3. 10 Mycorrhiza Benefits Extends the functional system for plant rooting
Increases soil aggregation and persistence
Improves water percolation and retention
Improve nutrient access and mobility
Increases soil organic matter content
Reduces soil erosion and improves soil aeration
Improve plant nutrient status reduces fertilize cost
Trigger plant defensive systems for disease, pest and abiotic stresses reduces need for pesticides cost
Counteracts metal toxicities
Reduces drought and salinity stresses

4. Benefits of Mycorrhizal to Plants
Massive extends
the effective root system
2) Improved soil structure, percolation, aeration, & retention
3)Better acquisition of scarce immobile nutrients P, Zn, S, Cu etc.
4) Better stress response
Especially toxicity, drought and pests and pathogens

5. For Discussion Origin/terminology Plant/fungus relationship
Relation to Carbon and Soil Quality
Agricultural Use
Practices Affecting
Multiplying the benefits

6. Arbuscular Mycorrhiza
Myco (fungus) + Rhizae (Roots)
Vesicules and arbuscules are internal fungal structures in plant roots that interchange nutrition and to and from the plant maintain the symbiotic relationship of plant with fungus

7. Mycorrhizae are not obvious
Plant roots without VAM
Same plant roots colonized with VAM
Proliferated spores sporangiospores which are the overseasoning source on proliferation and survival in the soil

8. Mycorrhiza Development Stages

9. Root Extension

10. Plant Reaction to Arbuscular Mycorrhizae

11. Mycorrhizae Benefit Soil
The glyco sugar protein glomalin improves the aggregation of soil particles.
Aggregation improves structure and function of the soil increasing aeration and water relationships
Glomalin is resistant to rapid decay allowing improving soil organic matter content
With increase mycorrhiza activity other soil microflora are increased especially the nitrogen fixing Rhizobia bacteria of legumes

12. Antibody Fluoresence Shows Glomalin Distribution

13. Soil aggregrates knit by the fungal threads glued by fungal protein

14. Mycorrhizal Threads

15. Soybean AM Proliferating in Soil

16. Review

17. Propagule Sporangiospore

18. Mycorrhizae Symbiosis Nutritional Based Benefits

19. Symbiosis = Mutually Feeding

20. VAM gives optimum P response At 1/7th the Rate

21. Phosphorus retention A Global Constraint

22. Mycorrhizal Factoids
The extension of surface area in mycorrhizal plants is considered hundreds to thousands of times than of the non-mycorrhizal counterpart
The movement of Phosphate in mycorrhizal plants has been found to be 3 to 5 times faster than the non-mycorrhizal counterpart
The Improved absorption and movement of immobile nutrients from mycorrhizal symbiosis results increased P, Zn, Cu, and has been shown to reduce Aluminum a source of acid soil infertility.
Mycorrhizal plants are better able to avoid and tolerate drought stresses

24. 10 Mycorrhiza Benefits Extends the functional system for plant rooting
Increases soil aggregation and persistence
Improves water percolation and retention
Improve nutrient access and mobility
Increases soil organic matter content
Reduces soil erosion and improves soil aeration
Improve plant nutrient status reduces fertilize cost
Trigger plant defensive systems for disease, pest and abiotic stresses reduces need for pesticides cost
Counteracts metal toxicities
Reduces drought and salinity stresses