Dr Mike on: Economics of Inoculation & the Best Way to Apply

The decision to inoculate your plants with mycorrhizae often comes down to cost, so there are many things to consider. In general, it is most cost effective time to inoculate is very young plants where the average cost can be less than a penny per plant. Larger plants require more inoculum so costs are proportionately greater. Applying mycorrhizal inoculum at seeding can greatly reduce the cost per acre for treating crops.

Another important consideration is to learn which type of mycorrhizal fungi occurs with your plant species. A list of plants with their mycorrhizal associates can be found at this website or, better yet, contact a mycorrhizal specialist to make sure that you select the proper type of inoculum (866-476-7800).

The next decision is what type of inoculum to buy and how best to apply it. Spore-based inoculums have the most options. The least expensive inoculation method is to apply liquid or powdered inoculum to seeds. Incorporating mycorrhizal inoculums into soil or growing media also works well. Mycorrhizal inoculums come in three formulations (powder, liquid, or granular) and the choice will depend on the needs of the grower and the application equipment available.

Here is one important consideration regarding cost-benefit ratios. When evaluating the use of mycorrhizal inoculums, it’s tempting to consider only the benefits of increased plant growth or yields. Instead, try to account for all the cumulative mycorrhizal benefits including reduced costs for water or fertilizer, better germination or survival, increased soil carbon levels, or improved soil structure — if each incremental benefit contributes 5% to 10%, the combined benefits can total 20 to 40%.

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