Mycorrhiza brings numerous benefits to plants, improving their he alth, growth strength and yielding. Owners of heather plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons and blueberry know it very well. On sale, among the branded live MYKOFLOR mycorrhiza mycorrhiza, we can also count for he althier and tastier fruit?
Vine mycorrhiza - what are the benefits?
To answer the questionis it worth using mycorrhiza on grapevines , we need to refer to nature - what is mycorrhiza for plants and why they need it. Most of the plants that have lived on Earth for over 400 million years have symbiotically lived together with mycorrhiza-forming fungi. This word faithfully reflects the essence of this symbiosis translated as a mushroom-root. Their intercourse is very durable for death and life, which means that once established mycorrhizal symbiosis ends when the plant dies.
Endomycorrhiza is very common , which inhabits mainly herbaceous plants and together with ectomycorrhiza, many deciduous trees and shrubs. The genetically older endomycorrhiza is slightly less efficient in the effects of symbiosis; it has a smaller mycelium extent and has less impact on yield.A better ectomycorrhiza is much more efficient and effectivein helping the plant. It improves the supply of water and minerals, also difficult to digest, penetrating the soil more effectively than root hairs, because it is 10 x thinner and 1000 x denser.These functions are many and all of them contribute to an increase in he alth and yield. "
Grapevines, as a component of some natural forest ecosystems(Deciduous Forest), obviously benefit from the benefits of mycorrhiza. But we were the first to learn that it is, in addition to endo-, ectomycorrhiza, the first mycelia that we have isolated from the roots of the grapevine, and are the first ectomycorrhizae found on this type of plant. Thanks to this, it was possible to think about their practical application.
The reactions of plants to the administration of the mycorrhizal vaccinevary, but the more visible the more the plant grows. That is why such species as willow, poplar, grapevine react visibly in the first year after the treatment. But it is really only in the second year that mycorrhiza shows what it can do. On the willow, in the first year it was only a 15% increase in weight, and in the second year it was already 150%, which of course was a surprise.However, when in the third year the weighing showed 180%, it means that mycorrhizal fungi can withstand many growth and yield limitations in strongly growing species, which also turn out to be strongly mycorrhic.
Simply transposing these results into viticulture may prove to be deceptive, but it is likely. One of the yield limitations is water scarcity. Reducing it and supplying water by mycorrhizal fungi results in higher assimilation efficiency, i.e. yield and sugar content, which was demonstrated by the experience already in the first year. One has to reckon with higher results in the next and next years.
AComing back to the considerations about the mycorrhiza , it is necessary to emphasize several important phenomena that it causes:
- A significant increase in the absorptive surface of the root system results in a much better water supply and the associated effects (assimilation, growth, yielding, resistance to temporary drought).
- High penetration of the soil by mycelial hyphae and their enzymatic abilities result in a better supply of minerals that are difficult to access and an economical use of mineral fertilizers.
- The protection zone around the roots gives high buffer properties against inadequate soil conditions and threats (pathogens, pH, soil nematodes, etc.).
The sum of allpositive effects of mycorrhizal symbiosisis irreplaceable by chemical protection, mineral fertilization of the vine and other non-ecological treatments. Considering the one-time mycorrhization during the life of the plant (vineyard) and sometimes the grower, it is certainly the cheapest way to intensify production.
Good to know!The grapevine, as a vigorous plant, reacts very well to the mycorrhizal vaccine administered to it. In the past season, strict experiments were made with several iso-years obtained from vines growing in the conditions of a deciduous forest.The first observations and measurements indicate a good response of the grapevine, as just a few months after the treatment, an increase in yield by 25%, an increase in sugar content by 12% as well as a shortening and uniformity of shoots was observed. The vaccine is especially recommended to growers as the first vaccine in the world.
See: Opinion of the University of Life Sciences in Poznań
Eng. Wlodzimierz Szałański
