Possibilities of application of mycorrhizal fungi in organic agriculture

Mycorrhiza represents a symbiosis beetwen the fungus and the plant whereby the fungus recieves organic matter synthesised through photosynthesis from the plant, and the plant, through the fungus hyphae easily absorbs water and inacessible nutrients. The use of mycorrhiza in agriculture has many advantages: it facilitates the cultivation of plants in the case of unsuitable soil, it improves plant nutrition and mineralization of organic matter. It also improves the utilization of phosphorus and nitrogen, resistance of crops to transplant, drought and salt stress, heavy metals and pathogens in soil and, finally it increases yield and quality of the crops . The application of mycorrhiza in organic farming is increasingly in today's practice, especially in the production of fruit vegetables, olive growing and viticulture. Arbuscularmycorrhizal fungi, that are believed to be able to replace fertilizers and biocides which are not allowed in organic systems, have a great potential for application in organic farming. In addition to maintaining or improving soil fertility by using mushrooms as a biofertilizer, using mycorrhiza in organic food production is promoted, together with a comprehensive systematic approach to agriculture, which encourages continuous innovation on farms, for the purpose of environmental, social and economic well-being. The application of mycorrhiza in all directions of organic production has great potential in the future in the Republic of Croatia and worldwide.Mikoriza predstavlja simbiozu između gljive i biljke pri čemu gljiva od biljke dobiva organske tvari sintetizirane putem fotosinteze, a biljka uz pomoć hifa gljiva lakše absorbira vodu i hraniva. Primjena mikorize u poljoprivredi ima brojne prednosti – omogućava uzgoj bilja u tlima nepovoljnih karakteristika, poboljšava ishranu bilja, mineralizaciju organske tvari, efikasnije iskorištavanje fosfora i dušika, povećava otpornost kultura na stres presadnje, suše i soli, teške metale u tlu i patogene te povećava prinos i kvalitetu. Primjena mikorize u ekološkom uzgoju je sve više zastupljena u praksi, osobito u proizvodnji plodovitog povrća, u maslinarstvu i vinogradarstvu. Arbuskularno-mikorizne gljive za koje se smatra da mogu zamijeniti gnojiva i biocide koji nisu dopušteni u ekološkim sustavima proizvodnje imaju veliku mogućnost primjene u ekološkoj poljoprivredi. Osim što se upotrebom gljiva kao biofertilizatora postiže održavanje ili poboljšavanje plodnosti tla, promiče se ekološka proizvodnja hrane koja predstavlja cjeloviti sustavan pristup poljoprivredi, koji potiče kontinuirane inovacije na gospodarstvima, a u svrhu okolišnog, društvenog i ekonomskog boljitka. Primjena mikoriznih gljiva u svim segmentima ekološke proizvodnje ima veliki potencijal u budućnosti u Republici Hrvatskoj i u svijetu