A Boost to Soil Vitality: How Biochar Supports Mycorrhizal Networks

Mycorrhiza sounds like an opaque scientific word but it means fungal root or more specifically, fungi that have a symbiotic relationship with the roots of many plants. You may not know it because most of us have never seen mycorrhiza even though they can be found in soil all the time and everywhere. The fungi that typically develop mycorrhizal associations with plants are found underground. Many mycorrhizal fungi are symbiotic and so cannot succeed in nature for long periods of time without their host. Because the fungus and the plant have a symbiotic relationship, both gain from one another. The association has no negative consequences for either the host plant or the fungus. Ongoing research on soil, plants, mycorrhiza, and biochar suggests biochar’s porous structure provides shelter from fungal grazers and increases soil microbial diversity, promoting mycorrhizal interactions.