Growers are always seeking ways to help get the most out of their irrigation and nutrition plans. Many cannabis growers have turned to mycorrhizal fungi to really dial in their rootzones. This tech tip will introduce these special organisms in detail.
Mycorrhizae are soil-based plant-beneficial fungi. Mycorrhizal spores germinate and grow in the rhizosphere. The spore sends out hyphae, the fungal equivalent of roots, which seek out nearby plant roots. Through these associations, mycorrhizae deliver additional water and nutrients to plant roots, while receiving root exudates in return. Mycorrhizae gather these resources through the fine webbing of hyphae, spreading through surrounding soil. This relationship vastly expands the surface area available to plant roots for resource gathering, and aids in drought resistance and nutrient utilization.
There are two commonly utilized types of mycorrhizal fungi: endomycorrhizae and ectomycorrhizae. Ectomycorrhizae typically colonize the roots of trees and woody shrubs. Endomycorrhizae colonize the roots of most herbaceous greenhouse, food, and ornamental crops, including cannabis. Endomycorrhizae develop close associations with the roots of many plants extending the hyphae into the interior root cells. Full colonization occurs over a period of approximately 6 to 8 weeks. Short term crops such as microgreens and baby greens do not benefit as much as longer term crops such as tomatoes, cannabis, and strawberries.
Mycorrhizal products use slightly different jargon than other types of fertilizer or soil additives. Active ingredients are measured in propagules per gram or viable spores per gram. Propagules are chopped up root or hyphal fragments; products using propagules establish faster but have a dramatically shorter shelf life. Spores are survival structures produced by the fungi, take a bit longer to establish in crops, but remain viable and stable for a much longer period of time. Either type of material will result in colonized rootzones, but spore-based products offer greater protection from variations in shipping or storage environmental conditions.
CONNECT from Premier Pro-Mix contains 6000 viable spores per gram of material. Treatment with CONNECT at seeding or transplant inundates the root zone with viable spores, ensuring mycorrhizae grow into plant roots as quickly as possible. CONNECT is best applied as a 1:1 slurry of water and wettable powder at seed or transplant. As seedlings and transplants grow through the slurry of mycorrhizal product, spores germinate and grow into and with the roots. Transplants are protected from severe transplant shock, plants are better able to withstand nutrient and water stress, and overall growth is accelerated with greater access to water and nutrients. Contact your Griffin sales rep for information on availability and technical specs.
