MAI Australia

What are Mycorrhizal fungi?
"Mycor" - "rhiza" literally means "fungus" - "root" and defines the mutually beneficial relationship between the plant root and fungus.

The Mycorrhizal fungal filaments colonise the root system and are truly extensions of root systems and provide more effective nutrient and water absorption than the roots themselves.

Download the following diagrams illustrating what are Mycorrhizal.
Mycorrhizal Associations
Root Colonizing Patterns


Why Mycorrhizae?
Mycorrhizal filaments produce humic compounds and organic "glues" that bind soils into aggregates and improves soil porosity.

Soil porosity and soil structure positively influence the growth of plants by promoting aeration, water movement into soil, root growth and distribution.

Download the following diagrams illustrating why Mycorrhizae.
Diagram of VAM Associations
Glomalean Mycorrhizal


How do Mycorrhizae increase nutrient uptake?
Mycorrhizal fungi increase the surface absorbing area of roots 10 to 100x thereby greatly improving the ability of the plants to utilize the soil resource.

Mycorrhizal fungi form an intricate web that captures and assimilates nutrients, conserving the nutrient capital in soils. In non mycorrhizal conditions much of this fertility is wasted or lost from the system.

Download the following diagrams illustrating how Mycorrhizal increase nutrient uptakes.
Spore-based Taxonomy
Morthology of VAM Associations