Immobilized Ectomycorrhizal
Fungi
Mycelium cultured
within hydrogel
Scanning electron micrograph of a Mycobead
showing surface details, confirming no presence of fungal
mycelium exterior to the bead.
Scanning electron micrograph of a Mycobead
after the hydrogel material was removed by dissolution. The
fungal mycelium is revealed to be throughout the bead and just
underneath the surface of the bead.
A higher magnification scanning electron
micrograph of a Mycobead with the hydrogel material
removed. The mycelium is revealed to be comprising intact and
unfragmented hyphae.
Outgrowth of Fungi from Mycobead
While it is desirable to keep the fungus
immobilized within the beads during culture and all stages prior
to use as inoculum, ultimately, the fungus has emerge from the
beads after inoculation to form mycorrhizal associations with the
roots of inoculated seedlings.
A darkfield view of Laccaria laccata
mycelium emerging from a Mycobead three days after
incubation on an agar plate.
Pisolithus tinctorius mycelium
emerging from a Mycobead three days after incubation on an
agar plate.
Initiation of Mycorrhiza by Mycobead
The mycelium which emerges from Mycobead
has to be capable of initiating mycorrhiza on the roots of host
plants.
The formation of mycorrhiza on a
eucalypt seedling 10 days after inoculation with Mycobead.
The test system used was an agar plate.
Root of a eucalypt seedling 11 weeks
after inoculation with Mycobead. Evident are the remnant
of a bead, fungal mycelium attached to roots, and an
ectomycorrhiza (club root structure, indicating that the
inoculation was successful). The test system used was yellow sand
potting mix in a glasshouse.