Fungi are already at work in Permaculture systems
everywhere. It is in our interests to better understand the roles they play,
and to work with them
There is virtually no limit to the guilds we can create that
incorporate Fungi, and this area of study is evolving rapidly.
When Fungi and plants enter into mycorrhizal relationships,
they tend to do so symbiotically, in order to sustain the relationship. Fungi
obtain sugars and shelter, while the plants receive assistance in obtaining
minerals, nutrients and water. The mycelia are very fine, and they effectively
increase the plants access to available nutrients, spreading well beyond the
root zone.
Most plant species have mycorrhizal partners. One of the
most prized foods, the Perigord Black Truffle (Tuber melanosporum), forms
mycorrhizal relationships with Oaks and Hazelnuts, and it currently sells for
$3000/kg!
Most of the edible fungi we cultivate are Saprophytes.
Saprophytes are decomposers, primarily of dead wood and vegetation, but also of
manure, dead insects and other dead animals. They speed up the decomposition
process, turning forest litter into soil.
As an example Pleurotus
eryngii – the King Oyster, is known to grow saprophytically in association
with the roots of Eryngo-the Sea holly, which is in the Umbelliferaceae family.
We can culture this delicious mushroom on a variety of substrates, and
encourage a relationship in our gardens between The King Oyster and Parsley,
Dill, Chervil, Celery, Fennel, Caraway, Coriander, Cumin , Carrot and other
Umbells.
We can harness the manure decomposers such as Coprinus comatus-the Shaggy Mane, Stropharia rugoso annulata- the Burgundy
Wine Cap, and Agaricus brunnescens-the
Portabella, amongst many others, to speed up the process of breaking down
manure, thereby reducing unpleasant odours and fly breeding habitats. The fast
cycling of nitrogenous wastes back into the soil also reduces potential water
pollution from runoff.
A compost pile can be viewed in a whole new way, once we
begin to understand Fungi. It needn’t be a smelly old pile of debris, waiting
to be turned, then more waiting before we get a yield. With a basic
understanding of the requirements of just a few species of Fungi, we can
organize our composting to allow for multiple yields.
If nematodes are a problem, why not allow Oyster mushrooms
to hunt them down and devour them? Plants that are particularly susceptible to
Nematodes, would benefit from this stealthy companion.
Many other organisms enjoy consuming mushrooms, and we can
organize guilds that bio-diversify our Permaculture systems.
Some examples include;
Growing worms, snails
and various maggots on spent substrates and feeding them to chickens, ducks or
fish; Growing species such as Stropharia
rugoso annulata The Burgundy Wine Cap to supplement the diet of bees, which
have been known to feed on the sugars contained in the mycelia.
In an aquaculture system, mushrooms can also be utilized as
myco-filtration units, helping to clean the water as it is cycled from the
ponds back to the ponds; Yabbies are known to eat fungi and wood, they are
classic decomposers, eating manure, meat, detritus, in fact just about
anything. Spent mushroom logs and straw can be fed directly to yabbies by
placing it at the edge of their ponds, partially submerged, and allowing the
yabbies to decompose the pile at their own pace. The yabbies can then be eaten
or fed to ducks or fish, or platypus if you’re lucky.
Feeding mushrooms to pigs, well known lovers
of fungi. Many Fungi have documented health benefits for humans, and some
contain natural anti-biotics, immuno-enhancers, and adaptogens. Feeding them to
our livestock can help keep them healthy naturally. We can also observe which
Fungi animals seek out, and try and learn why. In this way, our ancestors
discovered many foods and medicines-through observing the wisdom of nature.