When fungal activity looks like this beneath the tree row, how long do you suppose leaf residue will be around to carry over disease to the next season?
How will this fungal activity compete with Armillaria and other potential pathogens in the rhizosphere? How will it influence nutrient availability?
From our observations and experience, soil biology can deliver essentially all of a plant’s macronutrient requirements without any added fertilizer, provided that the nutrients are already present in the soil’s native geological profile. When we farm the biology, we no longer need to import fertilizers that are generally already locked up in our soils.
It may not be wise to simply discontinue fertilizer applications if the soil biology is severely compromised. They need to deliver whatever does not come from imported fertilizers in order to maintain or increase yields and quality, and in challenged soils they are often unable to do so.
