Abstract

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NUTRITIONAL STUDIES OF SOME ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI OF ACHANAKMAR AMARKANTAK BIOSPHERE RESERVE, CHHATTISGARH

Amit Sharma, R. V. Shukla and Shweta Sao*

Abstract

Fungal endophytes have been studied from three ethno medicinal plants such as Terminalia arjuna (Arjun), T. chebula (Harra) and Shorea robusta (Sal) of Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve Mungeli, Chhattisgarh. All the plants were found colonized with endophytic fungi. Endophytes are microorganisms that form symptomless infections within plants. They have widespread existence in various plants. Although the mechanism is unclear, an endophytic fungus actually plays an important role in local ecology. Physiological and nutritional studies on some important endophytic fungi i.e., Botrytis sp., Curvularia sp., Monodyctis sp., Scytalidium sp. and Verticillium sp. were performed viz. requirement of suitable media, carbon and nitrogen requirement, temperature study, pH study etc. which revealed some important characteristic of those fungi and their role in the environment.

Keywords: Endophytic fungi, Physiological studies, Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve, Chhattisgarh.