Mycorrhizae

[HDRider]

Has anyone applied a Mycorrhizae product on their existing pastures?

If so, did it have the desired effect?

What happened?

References:
http://www.mycorrhizae.com/faqs/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/facu ... hizae.html

 

[Jogeephus]

I always treat my clover seed and seed of other species that needs it with it. Once was given a case of mycorrhizae that was intended for soybeans and I treated some other seed with that. Does it work? Yes, if you don't have the needed mycorrhizae on site but if you already have it you are not going to notice any difference. If you don't, your plants will be yellowish. Stuff is so cheap I can't see not using it.

 

[HDRider]

I always treat my clover seed and seed of other species that needs it with it. Once was given a case of mycorrhizae that was intended for soybeans and I treated some other seed with that. Does it work? Yes, if you don't have the needed mycorrhizae on site but if you already have it you are not going to notice any difference. If you don't, your plants will be yellowish. Stuff is so cheap I can't see not using it.

Jo I see using it on seed. I was curious about using it on an existing standing pasture as a broadcast mixed with lime or maybe a sprayer mixed in water.

 

[Jogeephus]

I wouldn't go out of my way or dig in my pocket to spray it or apply it on pasture unless you had some legumes that are showing a yellow sheen to them. Chances are its already there. Sortof goes back to the saying if it ain't broke don't monkey with it. Lack of mycorrhizae in a pasture is pretty obvious. Adding more wouldn't hurt anything but I don't think it would help either. Sortof goes back to carrying capacity. If you have enough stuff for the mycorrhizae to inhabit and grow then it will spread on its own. Basically its just a fungus.

 

[HDRider]

That makes sense.

 

[Chris H]

I always treat my clover seed and seed of other species that needs it with it. Once was given a case of mycorrhizae that was intended for soybeans and I treated some other seed with that. Does it work? Yes, if you don't have the needed mycorrhizae on site but if you already have it you are not going to notice any difference. If you don't, your plants will be yellowish. Stuff is so cheap I can't see not using it.

I was wondering how you might be able to tell if it was lacking. Thanks.

 

[Lucky_P]

I'm unfamiliar with mycorrhizal fungi that specifically benefit forage plants - most are involved with woody plants, like trees/shrubs.

The legumes benefit from a relationship with Rhizobium spp. nitrogen-fixing bacteria that form root nodules. They are not mycorrhizae.

 

[pdfangus]

if you build organic matter in the soil ....easier said than done....
the mycorrhizal fungi will develop.....

if you do not have sufficient organic matter in the soil the application of mycorrhizal fungi will be fruitless.

the easiest way to build organic matter is application of organic matter to the soil....

1. graze half and leave half....
2. intensive rotational grazing...
3. use of cover crops...
4. multi species cover crops....
5. something green and growing on the field 365 days a year.
6. never till the soil.....sunlight kills the microorganisms in the soil...
7. mycorrhizai can be very involved with non woody plants....the are more obvious in woody plant areas becasue the organic matter in normally much higher in wooded areas than in pastures....

 

[Banjo]

if you build organic matter in the soil ....easier said than done....
the mycorrhizal fungi will develop.....

if you do not have sufficient organic matter in the soil the application of mycorrhizal fungi will be fruitless.

the easiest way to build organic matter is application of organic matter to the soil....

1. graze half and leave half....
2. intensive rotational grazing...
3. use of cover crops...
4. multi species cover crops....
5. something green and growing on the field 365 days a year.
6. never till the soil.....sunlight kills the microorganisms in the soil...
7. mycorrhizai can be very involved with non woody plants....the are more obvious in woody plant areas becasue the organic matter in normally much higher in wooded areas than in pastures....

I agree absolutely. The ecosystem beneath our feet is mind boggling....if we can only learn to manage it and not work against it.

 

[pdfangus]

below is a link to 18 videos of microbiota in the soil
the videos are from Iowa State

http://agron-www.agron.iastate.edu/~loynachan/mov/

the link came to me yesterday from the I :heart: Soil facebook page.