Mycorrhizae Soil Spore Density Evaluation

Mycorrhizae Soil Spore Density Evaluation

Why Is This Important?

Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (VAM) are arguably the most important microbial partners in regenerative agriculture. They extend the root system, enhance nutrient absorption, improve water efficiency, and build stable soil aggregates. Our evaluation service uses Neutral Lipid Fatty Acid (NLFA) technology to quantify VAM spore density, giving farmers a clear measure of this critical microbial resource.

 Biotic vs. Abiotic Nutrient Uptake

Plants absorb mineral nutrients through two broad pathways:

• Abiotic Pathway – Relies exclusively on physical and chemical processes, where nutrients must be in soluble form and are strongly influenced by pH. This is the foundation of modern fertilizer-based agriculture.
• Biotic Pathway – Driven by soil microbial communities, which respond to plant root signals, solubilize bound nutrients, and deliver them directly to the root. Mycorrhizal fungi are the keystone of this system, creating miles of fungal hyphae that act like “extra roots” to access insoluble nutrients locked in the soil.

The Modern Agriculture Dilemma

Decades of yield-focused agriculture have led to heavy fertilizer use and near-exclusive reliance on the abiotic pathway. While effective in the short term, this approach has:

• Degraded soils and depleted microbial life
• Reduced water use efficiency
• Broken down soil aggregates, limiting infiltration and water holding capacity

The result is a farming system dependent on external inputs, disconnected from natural soil-plant-microbe relationships.

 Regenerative Agriculture’s Objective

The goal of regenerative agriculture is to restore biotic nutrient cycling by re-establishing the symbiotic relationship between plants and soil microbes, especially Mycorrhizal fungi. Measuring soil spore density is a cornerstone step in tracking this restoration.

The Science Behind the Test

Our evaluation method is based on the work of Sharma & Buyer (2015), “Comparison of biochemical and microscopic methods for quantification of AMF in soil and roots.” Their research confirmed a strong correlation between:

• Microscopy-based spore counts per gram of soil
• NLFA biomarker 16:1ω5 readings (expressed in ng/g)

This correlation allows NLFA testing to serve as a reliable and scalable proxy for quantifying Mycorrhizal spore density.

 By knowing your soil’s Mycorrhizal potential, you can reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers, improve nutrient and water use efficiency, and build a resilient soil ecosystem, the foundation of regenerative farming success.

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How to take the soil samples.

Soil samples for PLFA and NLFA analyses for the evaluation of the VAM soil spore density.

• Take samples within root zone of the crop plant (top 8 inches)
• You can take composite samples and place the final sample which should be around 100 to 150g in a zip lock bag and reference mark it properly with a sharpy pen.
• For storage before sending them to the lab should be in a freezer as soon as possible after sampling.
• Ship frozen in an insulated container with ice bags.