As home gardening and urban food production have increased in popularity in recent years, so has hydroponics for plant and food production. Almost any plant can be grown in this way today, and very little space is required compared with traditional agriculture. Mycorrhizal fungi can benefit hydroponic production, and can easily be added as a powder directly into the nutrient solution, and can also be used in other ways such as a root dip solution or incorporation into manufactured soil-less growing media.
The big advantages of mycorrhizae in hydroponic applications are not unlike more conventional ways of growing plants. Mycorrhizae cause fine feeder roots to branch and extend the active feeding capacity of the root tips and by creating symbiotic mycelial networks within the rockwool or other inert growing media, which are able to much more effectively access and transport these materials back to the plant than the roots alone.
The advantages of Hydroponic systems include:
- Consistent high yields and faster growth
- Water can be reused
- Less difficult manual labor and weeds are nearly non-existent
- Less area required and quality tends to be excellent
- Mycorrhizae and other biologicals can be easily be introduced directly to the roots
