Abstract

DIVERSITY OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI IN PONGAMIA PINNATA OF ACHANAKMAR TIGER RESERVE OF CHHATTISGARH

Yuvraj Singh Dixit* and Priyanka Pandey

Abstract

Biodiversity of endophytic fungi of different root, leaf and bark samples viz. young, mature, dry, and infected of Pongamia pinnata was carried out in the Botany laboratory, Dr. C.V.R.U. Kargi Road Kota Bilaspur. Agar plate method and moist chamber techniques were used to isolate the endophytic fungi. During the study period, a total of 11 fungi were isolated under 10 genera from both agar plate and moist chamber method of which, 10 species of 8 genera were recorded from agar plate and 9 species of 8 genera were recorded from moist chamber. It was found that, Alternaria alternata was recorded in all the leaf samples and some bark samples to infect of the medicinal plant Pongamia pinnata. In agar plate method, Alternaria alternata, white sterile mycelia, Penicillium funiculosum, Cladosporium cladosporiodes, Curvularia lunata, green sterile mycelia were recorded from all the leaf samples. In moist chamber technique, Colletotrichum falcatum sterile mycelia, Alternaria alternata and some other fungi were recorded in all the leaf and some bark samples. It showed that infected leaves of the plant harbored maximum number of endophytic fungi followed by mature and young leaves. Alternaria alternata and white sterile mycelia were predominant in the agar plate method.

Keywords: Endophytic fungi, medicinal and economic plant Pongamia pinnata, Agar plate method.