Can This Little Fungus Save Your Garden From Worms?
If you’ve ever had a garden you know you constantly are battling pests from above and below. One of this pests is the small but mightly nematide, a little worm-like creature that burrows its way into the roots of your plants, taking away their nutrients.
Bring in the super fungus! We now know that fungus is one of the most important organisms out there for soil health. It create a mat of fibers under the ground that can help trees communicate, that can break down soil into nutrients, and can be your best defense against garden pests.
New research shows that a little fungus, Mortierella alpina, may be able to stop nematodes in their tracks. Some Mortierella fungus has been know to trap these worms by making a jail cell out of little fibers called hyphae. Others make chemicals that kill off the worm. But the species studied makes a substance called malpinins that stops the worm from eating thing like your tomatoes or other garden plants. It’s like a dieting pill at its worst.
What Makes This Fungus Special?
Mortierella species stand out for their capacity to improve soil health through the reduction of xenobiotic metabolites, facilitation of nutrient cycling, and promotion of plant growth. Mortierella, due to its ability to degrade organic pollutants, can be used for soil remediation.
Mortierella alpina produces indoleacetic acid, which is known to help plants grow stronger. It also alleviates the diseases caused by Fusarium oxysporum, which you gardeners out there know causes fusarium wilt. This powerhouse species increases the available nitrogen and phosphorus content in rhizosphere soil.
Even more fantastic news, this fungus is good for us too. It is the only source for dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) certificated by FDA and European Commission. This acid is a type of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, important for brain and nerve function, and present in high amounts in breast milk.
The Problem With Pesticides
Worldwide it is estimated that approximately 1.8 billion people engage in agriculture and most use pesticides to protect the food and commercial products that they produce. Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used in the United State (US) each year and approximately 8.1 billion pounds of pesticides are used worldwide.
As many as 25 million agricultural workers worldwide experience unintentional pesticide poisonings each year. Each year, 385 million people are poisoned by pesticides while working, and more than 100,000 die from intentional poisoning.
It doesn’t just impact people but the environment. The US Department of Agriculture has estimated that 50 million people in the United States obtain their drinking water from groundwater that is potentially contaminated by pesticides and other agricultural chemicals.
The pesticides used to treat fusarium wilt include KTM, Hattrick, K ZEB, 1,3-dichloropropene, Metam sodium, and Metam potassium. However, these chemicals come with drawbacks, such as killing off beneficial soil organisms and health impacts in humans such as cancer, lung, and skin damage.
We need to find a solution beyond synthetic chemicals and this study brings us one step closer.
