The Fungal farmers found harvesting Bacteria

Like a farmer, Morchella crassipes, a soil fungi able to "grow" bacteria and subsequent to harvest and consume it. Researchers at the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland, found that this fungus even fertilize the bacteria with their nutrients issuance.

Morchella crassipes, the
fungal farmers. (Picture from: 
http://www.newscientist.com/)

Junier Pilar and her scientists team found the fungal farmers when they studied the interaction between Morchella crassipes (soil fungi) and Pseudomonas putida (bacteria). To track the flow of nutrients, the mushrooms given a label  with carbon-13, while the bacteria are labeled with isotopes.

"After five days of trial, the bacteria have to get nutrients from the fungus," said Junier, on Wednesday, October 30, 2013, as quoted from Newscientist.

But in between the fifth and ninth day, the amount of bacteria began to decrease and nutrients reversed flow from bacteria to fungi. At the same time, the fungus began to grow sclerotia, hard nodules and rich in nutrients which serves as a food reserve storage.

"Mushrooms will take nutrients from the sclerotia if environmental conditions worsen and there is no food available," said Junier.

Soil fungi known to prefer help bacteria move from one place to another quickly. Fungal filaments act like highways on the ground for bacteria that pass through it. However, the bacteria have to "pay" the facility with food. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | NEWSCIENTIST | RSPB | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HUDI | KORAN TEMPO 4394]

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