Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch
Rocky the problem I have with Fox Farms Kangaroots and many other products like it, is that it is loaded with Trichoderma and from what I have read Trichoderma will dominate and take over many of the other species.
Dutch
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This debate over Trichoderma and its effect on other organisms (mycorrhizal fungi in particular) will probably never end, at least because there is some truth to it, but the interactions between different organisms is so complex that nobody really understands it all.
Trichoderma are opportunists and are able to get food from many different sources. They can degrade cellulose, they can degrade chitin from insect exoskeletons or by parasitism of the mycelium of other fungi (good or bad). They also feed on the root exudates of plants. In turn Trichoderma can be inhibited by antifungal compound produced by different specie of bacteria. Competition for food sources and real estate is normal among all soil organisms.
There was one study I read that showed that the presence of Trichoderma near mycorrhizal fungi caused a stress reaction in the mycorrhizal fungi where they increased their uptake of phosphorous to the plant.
I think if you have good soil with plenty of organic matter and roots in the ground then there will be plenty of food sources for all and nature will find a balance.