A few months ago, so somewhere around last year’s October, I was called by a young man operating an illuminated commercial production of tomatoes in a greenhouse near Warsaw (circa 10 ha). He proposed a meeting to discuss introducing our endo-mycorrhization vaccine into the cultivated tomatoes. And at that moment this interesting story took off as I brought the vaccine to a part of the seeding (circa 5000 plants) which has been mycorrhized while replanting to grow-boxes (easiest and most efficient). After three months I got a call with a request to meet, due to the fact that they wanted to mycorrhize the entire plantation because the ladies in the office declared, unanimously, that they never had tomatoes so tasty before. I was of course happy with such a verdict coming from the consumers, because tomatoes serve no other purpose but to be consumed, and why would anyone have to eat tasteless tomatoes when there are delicious ones. I have to add that the production at that plantation is at a very high level, and the managing specialist and owner use as little artificial additives as possible. They’ve noticed that mycorrhizing the production and introducing microorganisms significantly improves the quality and quantity of crops. After that autumn-winter period, lasting almost half a year, I can quote the effects they’ve observed after taking advantage of the mycorrhization vaccine.

1. The crops are significantly tastier, sweeter, with a distinct aftertaste, have a better color, are even in the cluster (I would like to remind that we are talking about tomatoes harvested in December-January);
2. Very efficient blooming and formation of berries in the cluster despite a lower insolation;
3. Faster growth and development of plants. Leaves with a “vivid” color, as for this part of the year, significantly thicker and more rigid.
4. Mycorrhized plants are significantly less often attacked by the tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta), and are more resistant to gray mold. Thanks to such properties of mycorrhized fungi it is possible to reduce the use of artificial and biological agents to the very minimum.
5. Thanks to mycorrhization the plants cope better with stress resulting from for example cold or draught, resulting from delayed watering.

Spring is coming, the temperatures and insolation will rapidly go up, which is going to result in the fact that the so called “yellow shoulder” is going to appear on the berries, undoubtedly lowering the quality of harvested tomatoes. Whiteflies will start to come to greenhouses from the outside and red spider mites are going to appear. These will be the following challenges for mycorrhized tomato plants. Of course, we will inform about how they handle it.

We can of course achieve effects similar to those of “these” tomatoes also when growing cucumbers, bell peppers, and other vegetables (excluding crucifers), both covered and planted in soil. In any case, improving quality, reducing the use of artificial agents, as well as increasing harvests are all worth much more than the cost of mycorrhization itself. And that’s what it’s all about.

P.S; the text is co-edited by the above mentioned production manager from “THAT GREENHOUSE”.

Rudy March 20^th, 2020
Włodzimierz Szałański