I am NOT an EXPERT nor do I portray myself as one on the subject or claim to be one. I pass on what experiences I have had with Mycorrhizae and Actinovate and what little I have learned on line and from correspondence from experts. Here is one such correspondence from Thomas Giannou from T&J enterprises.
Strecptomyces lydicus would be at home with both BioVam and our Microbe tea product. In fact, it looks like it would make a good addition to both of those products. Thank's for bringing it to my attention.
Best Regards,
Thomas Giannou
http://www.tandjenterprises.com
It seems that actinomycetes (Streptomyces sp.) are also capable of oxidizing Sulfur. Another quote from the (Handbook of Microbial Biofertilizers) says,:
"The ability of the root systems to establish symbiotic relationships with some of the soil microorganisms (bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi) of the rhizophere represents one of the most successful strategies that land plants have developed to survive, with abiotic and biotic stresses imposed during colonization of terrestrial ecosystems".
As far as pricey fungi, maybe you should shop around.
MycoGrow™ Soluble
for Potting Soils & Rooting Media
MycoGrow™ Soluble is similar to Plant Success™ Tabs but is more concentrated, containing more spores and more species, plus other beneficial organisms. Consisting of powdered spore mass rather than tablets, MycoGrow™ Soluble is great for adding to rooting media or commercial potting soils. Sold in one pound and one ounce increments. An ounce is sufficient to treat 125–250 plants covering approximately 250 square feet.
One ounce MGS100 $5.95 Buy
One pound MGS110 $79.95 Buy
Note: this product cannot be shipped to Hawaii.
Contains concentrated spore mass of the following:
Endomycorrhizal fungi Glomus intraradices, Glomus mosseae, Glomus aggregatum, Glomus clarum, Glomus deserticola, Glomus etunicatum, Gigaspora margarita, Gigaspora brasilianum, Gigaspora monosporum
Ectomycorrhizal fungi Rhizopogon villosullus, Rhizopogon luteolus, Rhizopogon amylopogon, Rhizopogon fulvigleba, Pisolithus tinctorius, Laccaria bicolor, Laccaria laccata, Scleroderma cepa, Scleroderma citrinum, Suillus granulatas, Suillus punctatapies
Trichoderma Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma konigii
Beneficial Bacteria Bacillus subtillus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus azotoformans, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus pumlis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus stearothermiphilis, Paenibacillus polymyxa, Paenibacillus durum, Paenibacillus florescence, Paenibacillus gordonae, Azotobacter polymyxa, Azotobacter chroococcum, Sacchromyces cervisiae, Streptomyces griseues, Streptomyces lydicus, Pseudomonas aureofaceans, Deinococcus erythromyxa
And if you look at the ingredients closely MycoGrow soluble has Streptomyces lydicus in it. I'm sure it isn't the same strain as Actinovate but Streptomyces lydicus none the less. And at $5.95 an ounce which is capable of treating 125-250 plants I would call that a bargain.
This year I used both MycoGrow soluble from Fungi Perfecti and BioVam from T&J Enterprises in addition to Actinovate. How much you want to invest in your garden is up to you. For me the price is small concerning the amount of time I have put into obtaining the seed, growing plants from the seed and my desire to grow the best tomatoes possible. These products help make that happen and they are organic. I guess it boils down to how valuable your time is to you. Ami