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Fungi are an incredibly ancient form of life - in fact, they were here long before mammals, reptiles and amphibians set foot on Earth.
It has been estimated that there are over one million types of fungi worldwide. However, only 150,000 of those have been described to date.
Fungi are the one type of life that have always survived, despite multiple major extinction events and are currently Ireland’s most successful horticultural crop, supplying half of the mushrooms eaten in the UK.
Fungi and agriculture
Teagasc researcher Stephen Kilrea says that fungi can have both positive and negative effects on agriculture.
“Mushrooms themselves are fungi, which I’m in no doubt have an overall positive impact. Fungi also play central role in recycling of dead plant material and the cycling of nutrients, which is a positive role,” explains Stephen.
However, Stephen also added: “Of course, there are some that will have a negative effect, causing damage to crop yields and quality. Pretty much every plant grown hosts a pathogenic fungus.
"The best examples are things like mildews and rusts, which can be found forming specialised relationships we many different plants or crops.”
Research under way
Traditionally, mushrooms are grown in a pasteurised substrate with a layer of peat on top, but with the global effort to stop using peats and restore bogs, researchers Helen Grogan and Eoghan Corbett are currently in the process to find alternatives.
Helen says that fungi are an integral component of virtually all ecosystems. “In the environment, mushrooms break down dead wood and leaf litter whilst recycling the nutrients.”
According to Helen, the mushroom industry mimics this natural process by growing mushrooms in a straw-based substrate with a layer of peat on top.
Helen also adds that climate change is undoubtedly affecting fungi, as fungi responds to any changes in the habitats where it occurs.
“Some fungal species will be very specific in terms of the plants or soils they are adapted to, so if these change or are lost due to climate change, then the fungal species associated with them may not survive,” she explains.
The peat layer is essential and has very important properties that ensure a good crop of mushrooms.
Alternatives for growing
Since the industry is moving towards finding more sustainable alternatives to peat for growing, finding a replacement with similar characteristics is a major challenge.
Current projects such as ‘Beyond Peat’ funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are trying to identify sustainable alternatives to peat for professional horticulture.
Eoghan Corbett, a growing media research officer at Teagasc, says: “Professional growers in Ireland produce top-quality produce, both in the crops we eat and plants we use in our gardens.
"To ensure that this success continues, we are investigating what renewable materials and waste resources are available in Ireland.”
Eoghan’s research focuses on identifying resources that can potentially be transformed into peat-alternative growing media for use in horticultural production.
For more information on fungi and current research by Teagasc, visit here.
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