Rhizophagy Cycle

Chemical fertilizers (NPK) make plants grow visually but do not restore microbial-derived nutrient density. Manganese concentrations in plants are up to 700% higher when rhizophagy is active compared to when it is absent. The Iroquois empirically discovered a method of priming corn seeds with microbes from wild grass roots, functionally equivalent to modern biostimulant treatment. Plants actively secrete sugars to attract soil microbes, draw them into root cells, and use superoxide to extract their nutrients. Seeds contain microbes both on their surface and inside their tissue that prime the plant's rhizophagy cycle from the moment of germination. Sterilizing seeds eliminates their endogenous microbiome and leads to stunted root development, lack of root hair branching, and vulnerability to disease.