ANTI PLANT PATHOGENIC PROPERTIES OF HIGHER FUNGI ESPECIALLY WILD MUSHROOMS

Abstract

newline ABSTRACT newline newlineThe present investigations on the anti plant pathogenic activity of wild mushrooms were undertaken to study characterization of fleshy fungi for anti plant pathogenic properties. Survey work was conducted in different forest areas of three districts of H.P. (Kangra, Mandi and Kullu). A total of 70 species of wild mushrooms belonging to 54 genera were collected and identified, out of which 40 species were cultured. Thirty two genera were recorded to be inedible, 14 as edible and four as poisonous. Boletus sp., Polyporus sp., Ganoderma lucidum and Tricholoma sp. were the most frequently distributed mushrooms. Antagonistic activities of 40 species of wild mushrooms against ten plant pathogenic fungi were tested by dual culture technique. Most of the tested mushroom species markedly inhibited mycelial growth of all the phytopathogenic fungi. However, Cordyceps sp., Marasmius sp., Stropharia sp. and Russula sp. were found to have strong antagonistic activity. Culture filtrates of eleven wild mushrooms were found effective against test plant pathogenic fungi and nine were found effective against the bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum. Complete inhibition (100%) of Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was observed by Russula sp., while maximum inhibition zone (30mm) was recorded by Stropharia sp. in Ralstonia solanacearum. Eleven culture filtrates and seventeen fruit body extracts of wild mushrooms were found to inhibit the conidial germination of Alternaria brassicae, Fusarium oxysporum, Colletotrichum capsici and Rhynchosporium oryzae. Minimum inhibition concentration of culture filtrates and fruit body extracts ranged between 50-80% and 25-80% concentration, however fruit body extract of Phellinus sp., Russula sp., and Amanita sp. completely (100%) inhibited the spore germination of Alternaria brassicae. Complete inhibition was also found in Rhynchosporium oryzae by Lactarius sp., Russula sp., Coprinus sp. and Cordyceps sp. The culture filtrates found effective under in vitro were also tested for host parasite interaction under pots conditions and found to reduce the disease incidence. Minimum disease incidence (26.66, 20.33 and 33%) was found in sheath and leaf blight of maize, stalk rot of cabbage and pea wilt by Russula sp. and Phellinus sp., respectively. In biochemical tests, total phenolics (1.60-22.70 mg/100ml) were the major antioxidant components found in the culture filtrates, followed by DPPH scavenging (2.50 -7.66) and hydroxyl radicals (2.59 - 5.2). Stropharia sp. contained the highest phenolic content (22.70 mg/100ml) while Cordyceps sp. contained highest concentration (7.66 and 5.52 mg/100ml) of DPPH scavenging and scavenging effect on hydroxyl radicals among the culture filtrates tested newline