PROSPECT OF ENDOMYCORRHIZA FUNGI FOR BIO-FERTILIZERS

PROSPECT OF ENDOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI FOR BIO-FERTILIZERS

                                                                                                by

Meitini Wahyuni Proborini

Email: pmeitini@unud.ac.id

Mycorrhizae or Endomycorrhizae is a soil fungus that is often known as Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF). Mycorrhizae are taken from Greek which literally means fungi (mycos = mico) and roots (rhiza). This fungi forms a symbiotic mutualism between fungi and plant roots. Fungi obtain carbohydrates in the form of simple sugars (glucose) from plants. Conversely, fungi function to channel water and soil nutrients from the soil for the purposes of photosynthetic plants.

Endomycorrhizal fungi are obligate organism, living in symbiosis with the root system of vascular plants even they can live as symbiont with some non-vascular plants as well. Endomycorrhiza is known as soil fungus because its habitat is in the soil in the form of spores or hyphae and is very widely distributed in the root area of ​​plants (rhizosphere). Some researchers say that endomycorrhiza is also known as root fungus. The symbiosis between roots and fungus provides benefits for soil and host plant where the fungus grows. Endomycorrhizal fungi also have role in the growth plant able to increase the survival of plant seeds against disease. Moreover, the endomycorrhiza plays an important role in the process of absorption of ground water, the supply of nutrients such as phosphate (P), potassium (K) and as a function of hormones to stimulate growth.

Plants that have mycorrhizal symbiosis show maximum resistance to soil drought stress, so it is estimated in the future can used as an alternative technology to help growth, increase productivity and quality of plants, especially those planted on marginal lands that are less fertile or former mining / industrial. The specifict of this endomycorrhizal fungus is its ability to help plants to absorb nutrients, especially nutrients Phosphate (P). Symbiosis between mycorrhizae and plants occurs in the roots of plants where the fungus will colonize apoplast and root cortex cells of the host plant. This form of symbiosis is a form of symbiosis for endomycorrhizal fungi to obtain carbon and sugar from plant photosynthesis.

Utilization of CMA as a biological fertilizer in some commercial plants has shown quite good results. For example, CMA inoculation of cashew seeds can accelerate seedling growth in less than 60 days. Application in apple plants can increase the P content in leaves from 0, 04 to 0, 1 9%. In banana plants, AMF inoculation is also able to increase plant height and nutrient content of N, P, K, and Ca in the leaves. Other studies have shown that CMA inoculation of chilli seeds can spur growth. In soybean plants, CMA infection stimulates Zn absorption so that the concentration of Zn and CU in leaves is higher compared to plants without CMA in the early stages of growth, but decreases during flowering and thereafter increases again in the reproductive phase. Improvement of plant growth due to endomycoriza depends on the amount of phosphorus available in the soil and the type of plant. Significant effects of endomycoriza often occur in soils that lack phosphorus. The efficiency of P fertilization is clearly increased with the use of mycorrhizae. Application of endomycorrhizal biofertilizer in cassava cultivation is very positive effect on plant growth and the administration of inoculant in real endomycoriza can increase growth in the nursery and even after the plants are grown in the field.

Finally, the role of endomycorrhizae that can be used as biological fertilizer and increasing farmers' awareness of the use of endomycorrhizae as natural fertilizer is friendly to nature. This awareness arises that the use of chemical fertilizers for soil fertility, growing power and productivity of plants is increasingly reduced and instead began to use biofertilizers. The principle of the use of biological fertilizers is to utilize microorganisms that are already available in the soil degarade an organic material so it can help the process of mineralization or symbiosis with plants in nutrient elements because the presence of microorganisms (endomycorrhizae) can stimulate plant growth so that it will increase productivity so that harvesting with biological fertilizer can promise farmers income increase.

SOURCE:

This paper is taken from various sources of the author's research results, and also the author's collaboration with the final project students