How long do mycorrhizal fungi survive in soil without an active root system?
How long do Commercial Ecto / Endo Mycorrhizal Inoculum survive stored ?
Hi everyone, A few days ago I saw some products that claimed to have concentration of ecto-endo mycorrhizal spores that lasted up to five years, the product has as a substrate a soil and sand, ¿can the spores last five years? ¿How can I determine the viability of the spores? What is the storage temperature?
I think Endo mycorrhizae survive for a short term most no more than a few weeks without a host plant to live on. Ecto mycorrhizae may survive for longer periods, but five years, I'm not sure
Extomycorriza probably can survive as sole decomposer quite long, eventually depanding on the compexity of the ecosystem (getting outcompeted). Endomycorrhiza depand much stronger to a host plant.
Survival of spores I can not tell.
Viability: total count with a microscope, than dillution plating, ration of total to viable. many ectomycorrizas can be cultivated.
DOI: 10.1016/j.pedobi.2009.06.003
Cultivation of endos: I don't know the current knowledge.
I know about Glomus species like Glomus clarum, G. claroideum, G. desserticola and so on. They can be preserved in dried sandy soil for about two years
Estimada Katerine
Yo trabajo con micorrizas arbusculares. En un inóculo conformado por un determinado sustrato donde se han desarrollado hongos micorrizógenos arbusculares, lo primero que se inactiva es el micelio externo del hongo, en segundo lugar las raíces colonizadas por el hongo (las raíces con el micelio interno o el también llamado endófito) pues estas de cierta forma le brindan alguna protección a este micelio, y en tercer lugar quedan las esporas que pueden considerarse como estructuras de resistencia del hongo, pues de acuerdo a la estructura de sus paredes, pueden resistir más la desecación, el ataque de otros patógenos del suelo, etc. Un inóculo de este tipo puede durar bien 1 año en condiciones de buen almacenamiento, lejos de los rayos del sol, sin humedecerse, y a temperatura ambiente, pero si es posible mejor entre 4-8 oC. Ya después de 2 años de almacenamiento es aconsejable probar la viabilidad de este inóculo. Puedes hacer la prueba del Most Probable Number (Número Más Probable) de propágulos micorrízicos con el inóculo y calcular los propágulos totales con las tablas de Porter (1979), una tinción vital de las esporas que te demuestre que están vivas, o sencillamente tomar un multi-pot o cepellón (bandeja plástica con múltiples orificios como pequeñas macetas) y probar con Cebolla, Allium porrum, o Maíz cuantas plantitas se infectan al cabo de 4-6 semanas empleando el inóculo almacenado, y ver que porcentaje de plantas se micorrizan con el inóculo.
Depends on the mycorrhizal fungus and tissues. Ectomycorrhizal fungi have what is known as a resistant propagule bank, much like a seed bank for plants, in which certain fungal species can persist for many years as sclerotia (vegetative resting structure) e.g., those of Cenococcum geophilum, or dormant spores (sexual resting structures), see the work ofTom Bruns et al., e.g., Article Inoculum potential of Rhizopogon spores increases with time ...
Our recent paper might be of use for you:
Püschel D., Kolaříková Z., Šmilauer P. & Rydlová J. 2019: Survival and long-term infectivity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in peatbased substrates stored under different temperature regimes. Applied Soil Ecology 140, 98 - 107
I think the temperature matters a lot. 5 years seems to be too long..
Good luck! Zuzana
Excellent answers. I had a similar doubt and the articles presented by Professor Zuzana Kolaříková helped me a lot. Thank you all.
Given that I have experience in this field myself, Ectomycorrhizal fungal mycelium can remain in the soil for several years without the presence of the host, but inactive. The same is true of endomycorrhizal fungal spores.
Dear Behnaz Yousefshahi my question is focused on commercial inoculums that use the soil and sand, clearly the spores in their natural environment can inactive remain in the soil for several years , but there are companies that affirm that inoculums mycorrhizae last five years on substrates of sand and soil without specific storage conditions, it seems doubtful to me, There is no scientific evidence on this statement, so i decided open debate on the topic.
Dear Katerine Acevedo Serrano
I am very happy that you are interested in Mycorrhizae. I think this claim can be true. I have been researching ectomycorrhizal fungi for three years. You can make different inoculum from different materials. The shelf life of the inoculum depends on the ingredients used. The cheapest inoculum is soil inoculated. I was able to keep the dry soil inoculated with Mycelium of ectomycorrhizal fungus for two years. I also kept the pure cultivation of these ectomycorrhizal fungi in Petri for 3 years. These fungi can survive in harsh conditions. And I think they stay in the soil longer. If there is moisture, they will increase and if not, they will remain inactive. Mycorrhizae are the little secrets of nature.
best regards
Generally, Ectomyhorrizae can survive for a period long than Endomycorrhizae, but not for a long time.
The soil and sand can be used as substrate for reserving Mycorrhizae mycelium for about tow years, especially with moisture.
Ectomycorrhizae can stay without host plant for some time, but with an inactive case by producing resistant propagules to tolerate the hard environmental conditions.
Depends on environmental conditions and maintenance. AMF from inocula can survive and persist in plant roots for at least 2 years after introduction. But AMF without host plant can not stay for long time.
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