Mycorhizes: when plants and mushrooms join for the best!

Mycorhizes in the history of the alive one
The history of the mycorhizes begins there is more than 450 million years, in Dévonien. It would seem that symbiosis mycorhizienne was essential to the colonization of the continents by the plants! At that time it was about symbiosis between antiquated mushrooms, the gloméromycètes, forming mycorhizes known as arbusculaires (MY) or endomycorhizes (I will return there) and of the also antiquated plants, of the junction of the bryophytes (foams…). Later these mushrooms joined successively ferns and prêles then the first conifers at the end of the primary era. At that time the vegetation was still confined with the movable alluvial grounds, the remainder of continental surfaces being still the reserved domain of the lichens.
Then evolution of the alive following its course, a new symbiosis appeared: the ectomycorhizes (EcM) with the enzymatic system much more powerful than the first. Many a gymnospermes (coniferous) adapted to this new symbiosis to go to conquer the nonalluvial continental surfaces, then rock and deprived of vegetation.
During the secondary era the first plants with flowers (Angiospermes) appeared which also had they to choose between EcM (case of the oaks, beeches, birches, hazel trees…) and MY (case of the herbaceous plants, maples, ashes… and of all the tropical trees). Some however never have chooses and form two symbioses (case of the poplars for example), others invented some another (case of some éricacées - bilberries, rhododendrons -, of the orchises…), and finally some are purely and simply frees from symbiosis mycorhizienne and never do not need a symbiotic mushroom (case of Brassicacées and Chénopodiacées).
Currently, the “hurdy-gurdies” MY relate to 85% more of the plant species! In spite of its great age, this symbiosis remains one of the greatest successes of the alive one! EcM relate to only 5% of the plants but occupy of large surfaces in the moderate and especially boreal forests.
Mycorhizes with the garden
With the kitchen garden, there exists a whole diversity since plants very dependent on the mycorhization (leguminous plants, carrots…) to plants not mycorhiziennes. These last are especially Brassicacées (cabbages, turnips, radish, mustard…) and Chénopodiacées (spinaches, beets, blettes, quinoa…). All the plants mycorhiziennes of the kitchen garden form MY.
The fruit trees are for the majority endomycoriziens (MY) (apple trees, pear trees, plum trees, cherry trees, walnut trees…). Some however form of EcM, like the hazel trees and the chestnuts.
Among the plants of ornaments, if the majority of herbaceous are endomycorhiziennes (MY), it is divided more with regard to the ligneous family. For examples, maples, ashes and yews are endomycorhiziens, whereas oaks, pines and limes form of EcM.
Mycorhizes why make?
Which is thus the interest for these plants to form a symbiosis with a mushroom? In what follows, I especially will be delayed on MY which is most frequent with the garden, but all this is mainly true for EcM.
The first advantage of the mycelium of mushrooms is to be much finer than the roots. Blow it can go to seek water and nutrients in extremely small pores, thus multiplying by at least 10 the volume of ground explored by the root! It is moreover very powerful to mobilize nutrients far from mobile like phosphorus and zinc. It thus represents an often essential help to make it possible the plant to reach these elements.
The mushrooms MY help also the plant to fight against its adversaries, which they are parasitic mushrooms or even herbivorous insects!
And as if that were not enough, the gloméromycètes (group to which all the mushrooms belong MY) produces a substance called glomaline which structure ground around, making it thus more favorable to the development of the vegetation.
In other words is the mushroom mycorhizien used with the plant at the same time of minor, delicatessen, doctor, vigil and engineer in town and country planning… which says better?
In just reward of these services, the plants, as good cookers ecologist (they function with solar energy), nourish their fungic partner with the sugars worked out carefully during photosynthesis.
How to cultivate with the mycorhizes?
For including/understanding well how to use them with profit with the garden, see initially what disturbs the development even the survival of these mushrooms:
* Initially the phosphate-enriched fertilizers, indeed, one of the principal contributions of the mushrooms mycorhizien are to provide phosphorus to the plant. If the ground is saturated with it, the plant does not have any difficulty in go to seek this element and thus does not take any more the trouble to nourish its mycorhizes which disappears little by little. Note how that is true that manures are synthetic or organic!
* The work of the ground which breaks the mycelium and hidden the spores in zones unfavorable to their development.
* The monoculture of plants not mycorhiziennes (colza, mustards, beets, cabbages, spinaches, but also lupins…) who, especially if they are too well weeded, cut the mushrooms mycorhiziens of their source of carbon.
* The pesticides and as private individuals fungicides, even if the majority of these products do not kill the mushrooms mycorhiziens directly, their use is of a negative effect marked on the populations.
The practices which are favorable to the good development of these mushrooms and thus to their beneficial actions on your cultures are thus:
* a very reduced phosphorated fertilization;
* a work of the minimal ground, even no one;
* a cover of the ground for periods as long as possible with plants living (covered vegetable) including/understanding a significant proportion of plants mycorhiziennes: for example by mixing with your green manures mustard with a leguminous plant (field bean, tare, pea, fénugrec…) ;
* a mode of culture without pesticides;
* it is also possible to inoculate your plants with mushroom mycorhiziens spores of the trade, you will find for example inoculum endomycorhiziens (MY) on the site solvivant.fr.
Here is thus a major tool for comprehension of the system ground-plant directly applicable to your practice of the gardening organic soil! I invite you to leave your comment on my blog to ask me any question, notices, testimony relative to these marvellous mushrooms! With immediately!