Natural Capital - Fungi: The forgotten kingdom?

Scotland's Farm Advisory Service Podcast

Fungi, the often-overlooked kingdom of life, runs mostly undetected under out feet, forming intricate networks that support ecosystems in extraordinary ways. Mycorrhiza, a symbiotic relationship where fungi connect with plant roots, enables plants to absorb more water and nutrients in exchange for energy the plant obtains from sunlight.

Rhizocore Technologies specialise in producing locally-adapted mycorrhizal fungi to boost tree planting success. By working with native fungi, they’re accelerating woodland regeneration, improving forest productivity, and creating sustainable solutions to combat climate change.

In this episode, we’re joined by Toby Parkes, founder and CEO, and Franziska Scott, European Business Development Manager at Rhizocore Technologies. Together, we’ll explore the untapped potential of fungi in agriculture and forestry, the opportunities for shaping the future of sustainable land management and the vital role of fungi in fostering resilient, productive ecosystems.

Host Harry Fisher, Producer Iain Boyd, Editor Robbie Campbell, Executive Producer Kerry Hammond.

Related FAS resources:

FAS Sounds Natural Capital - https://www.fas.scot/sounds/natural-capital/

FAS Environment - https://www.fas.scot/environment/

Technical note 721 – soil biodiversity and soil health https://www.fas.scot/publication/technical-note-tn721-soil-biodiversity-and-soil-health/

Farm woodlands - https://www.fas.scot/crops-soils/farm-woodlands/

Other Related Resources:

Rhizocore Technologies - https://www.rhizocore.com/

SPUN article - https://www.spun.earth/articles/carbon-paper

Timestamps:

2:18 – 14:47 – What is fungi and what does it do?

14:48 – 27:19 – Categorising and identifying types of fungi

27:20 – 43:39 – Woodlands and Rhizopellets

43:40 – END – Biodiversity, carbon and other natural capital benefits