Question

What is mycorrhiza? How it is useful to plants?

Answer 1

Mycorrhiza:

One of the most valuable organisms in the soil is a fungus known as mycorrhiza, which means “fungus root” in Greek.Mycorrhizal fungi are tiny, harmless critters that attach themselves to plant roots and actually help plants to make use of water and organic nutrients in the soil. They live on the roots of roughly 95% of all earth’s plant species. In exchange for what they provide the plant, the plant offers the fungi a meal of sugars produced by the photosynthesis process.

benefits of mycorrhiza for plants:

• Mycorrhizal fungi populate the area around a plant’s roots and form very thin filaments, adding to the length and efficiency of a plant’s roots.
• This is like having a second set of roots for the plants.Thus, plants, trees, and shrubs with a well established mycorrhizal fungal root system are better able to survive droughts and transplant shock. They also absorb more nutrients from the soil.
• Plants with mycorrhizal fungi can survive better in their non-native environments, or that is to say, environments that don’t necessarily reflect the ideal environments for their survival, such as urban areas and home gardens.
• Mycorrhizal fungi also boost a plant’s immune system, making them resistant to soil-borne pathogens. In addition, they help to keep parasitic nematodes away.