Nursery Papers – Mushroom for improvement1:

inoculation of nursery stock with microbes

INTRODUCTION – to nursery plants, most of the microbial life in the environment poses no danger to production nurseries or to the greenlife growing in them. However, the organisms that do cause damage to plants are generally very destructive.

To mitigate the risk of harmful pathogens, most nurseries focus on hygiene, particularly during the propagation phase of production – for example, using new or appropriately treated containers, and sterilising media, tools and surfaces. Some extend their hygiene practices to hand washing, foot baths and wheel washes, for example.

However, no system is perfect and bacteria and fungal spores can be carried by wind and water so even with the best precautions there is always an infestation risk.

At worst, sometimes the very practices designed to safeguard a nursery can render it more vulnerable by creating a vacuum that is ripe for pathogens to inhabit.

IT’S NOT ALL BAD
In the same way that there are beneficial insects, there are beneficial microbes. In some circumstances, deliberately introducing species can with positively influence plant development, growth and establishment, as well as providing a barrier to less friendly organisms moving into a sterile environment.

Before you consider introducing beneficial organisms, as you would with beneficial insect introductions, make sure you accurately identify both existing and introduced species. It’s also important to be aware of the effect pathogen control activities like sprays and drenches may have on the ‘good guys’ in your nursery.

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