Vegetos

Abstract

During present study, 513 isolates were recovered from 15 different experimental sites. For fungal recovery, PDA medium proved better over Czapek s dox agar medium (CDA), while Waksman dilution method showed higher isolates recovery than Warcup s soil plate method. Thirty filamentous fungi were recovered of which Aspergillus, Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Fusarium were dominant. Aspergillus niger and A. fumigatus showed a high frequency of occurrence and were isolated @ 80 x10³ CFU/g and 47x 10³ CFU/g, respectively from dry, moist and humid soil samples, while Penicillium notatum (37x10³ CFU/g), Nigrospora oryzae (30 x10³ CFU/g), Rhizopus nigricans (32x10³ CFU/g), Trichoderma viride (24x10³ CFU/g) were isolated with moderate frequency. Fifty three isolates were recovered from site 10 (Agriculture field, BHU) which was highest whereas, 12 isolates were recovered from site 1 (Cantt Railways Station). Consequently, the site 10 had the maximum CFU value (53x10³ CFU/g) whereas site 1 had the lowest (12 x10³ CFU/g). A higher percentage of soil fungi isolated have preferred the acidic pH range. Mean of fungal isolates was higher in moist (37.60), followed by humid (34.50) and dry (30.20) conditions. Bray-Curtis cluster analysis was done to understand that several variables are responsible for the diversity and occurrence of soil fungi.