Chau, HenryGoh, YKVujanovic, VSi, BC2016-11-282012-11-072012-122012-10-22Chau, H.W., Goh, Y.K., Vujanovic, V., & Si, B.C. (2012). Wetting properties of fungi mycelium alter soil infiltration and soil water repellency in a γ-sterilized wettable and repellent soil. Fungal Biology, 116(12), 1212-1218. doi 10.1016/j.funbio.2012.10.0041878-614623245615 (pubmed)https://hdl.handle.net/10182/7621Soil water repellency (SWR) has a drastic impact on soil quality resulting in reduced infiltration, increased runoff, increased leaching, reduced plant growth, and increased soil erosion. One of the causes of SWR is hydrophobic fungal structures and exudates that change the soil-water relationship. The objective of this study was to determine whether SWR and infiltration could be manipulated through inoculation with fungi. The effect of fungi on SWR was investigated through inoculation of three fungal strains (hydrophilic - Fusarium proliferatum, chrono-amphiphilic - Trichoderma harzianum, and hydrophobic - Alternaria sp.) on a water repellent soil (WR-soil) and a wettable soil (W-soil). The change in SWR and infiltration was assessed by the water repellency index and cumulative infiltration respectively. F. proliferatum decreased the SWR on WR-soil and slightly increased SWR in W-soil, while Alternaria sp. increased SWR in both the W-soil and the WR-soil. Conversely T. harzianum increased the SWR in the W-soil and decreased the SWR in the WR-soil. All strains showed a decrease in infiltration in W-soil, while only the F. proliferatum and T. harzianum strain showed improvement in infiltration in the WR-soil. The ability of fungi to alter the SWR and enmesh soil particles results in changes to the infiltration dynamics in soil. © 2012 The British Mycological Society.pp.1212-1218Print-Electronicen© 2012 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reservedcontact anglefungihydrophobicinfiltrationsoil water repellencyMyceliumAlternariaFusariumTrichodermaWaterSoilSoil MicrobiologyHydrophobic and Hydrophilic InteractionsJournal Article10.1016/j.funbio.2012.10.004ANZSRC::0503 Soil SciencesANZSRC::050302 Land Capability and Soil DegradationANZSRC::050303 Soil BiologyANZSRC::060505 Mycology1878-6162ANZSRC::3107 MicrobiologyANZSRC::3108 Plant biology