FungiEco Editorial Team Type: Applied research / mycofiltrationLocation: Washington, USA Researchers investigated whether woodchip and straw filters colonised by fungi could reduce E. coli in contaminated stormwater. Species tested included Stropharia, Pleurotus and Irpex fungi. The work is particularly interesting because it moved beyond simply demonstrating fungal activity in a laboratory dish. Water was actually passed through colonised … Read more
Runoff from animal areas can carry manure, urine, bedding, feed residues, soil and cleaning water into surrounding ground or waterways. On a small property, the volumes may seem modest, but repeated runoff from yards, shelters, pens, milking areas or manure-handling zones can create persistent problems. These may include muddy ground, unpleasant odours, nutrient build-up, oxygen … Read more
Mycofiltration is an emerging approach to managing contaminated water with the help of fungi growing through an organic filter medium. In an agricultural setting, that medium may include woodchips, bark or other woody materials colonised by fungal mycelium. The resulting bed can intercept runoff before it reaches a ditch, drain, wetland or stream. It is … Read more
Woodchip beds can be more than a surface mulch. Designed in the right place, a deep layer of woody material can become a living landscape feature that slows runoff, stores moisture, supports decomposition and provides habitat for fungi. It can also help connect water-management areas with trees, shrubs, rain gardens and other planted parts of … Read more
Rain gardens, bioswales and other vegetated stormwater features are often described as hydraulic infrastructure: they slow runoff, hold water temporarily and help protect streams from sediment and pollutants. They are also living soil systems. Beneath the plants and mulch, fungi form part of a wider community that includes bacteria, plant roots, earthworms and other soil … Read more
Roads, car parks and other paved urban surfaces are efficient at moving rainwater—and at carrying whatever has accumulated between rainfall events into drains, waterways and receiving soils. Mycofiltration, which uses fungal-rich organic media such as woodchips or straw, is being explored as one possible biological layer in the management of this runoff. Its potential is … Read more
Urban tree maintenance produces a varied stream of woody material. Pruning, storm response, parks management and arboricultural work may generate branches, logs, woodchips and chipped pruning material. When these materials are clean and correctly sorted, they can support useful fungal and biological processes rather than being treated as a single undifferentiated waste stream. Potential applications … Read more
Mushroom production does not have to mean building a completely separate specialist business. On many farms, it can function as an additional biological enterprise that uses existing materials, buildings, labour and seasonal capacity. The aim is not to replace the main farm system, but to add another productive pathway within it. When planned carefully, mushroom … Read more
When nitrogen and phosphorus leave a farm, the loss affects both farm performance and downstream water quality. Nutrients that were purchased, produced in manure or stored in soil are no longer available to the crop when they move beyond the root zone. They may also contribute to algal growth, oxygen depletion and other water-quality problems … Read more
Healthy garden soil is a living system, and fungi are one of its most useful and often overlooked members. Alongside bacteria, worms, plant roots and many other organisms, fungi help turn organic materials into forms that support plant growth and improve the way soil holds air and water. You do not usually need to buy … Read more