Diversity of Endophytic Fungi in Banana Cultivars of Assam India

Endophytic fungal isolates (139 no.) were obtained from 143 (62 roots, 18 fruits and 54 leaves) samples of 15 different varieties of banana collected from 10 sites in Assam, India during 2018-2019. Overall isolation frequency from surface-sterilized tissue ranged from 10%-80% (as per site) and 6%-70% (as per variety of banana). All isolates were segregated into 40 different types on the basis of macromorphological and micro morphological characteristics. Forty different fungal taxa were isolated belonging to 14 genera including Absidia, Arthrinium, Aspergillus, Bipolaris, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Dendrophion, Fusarium, Humicola, Mortierella, Mucor, Penicillium, Paecilomyces, Verticillium and one mycelium sterile. Among them, Cladosporium cladosporioidies and Paecilomyces sp. frequently occurred in most of the sites surveyed whereas Cladospoirum cladosporioides and Aspergillus sp. 8, Fusarium graminseram were most frequently isolated from different varieties. However, all sites differed in their fungal diversity. Banana samples from Narigoan and Jorhat have been found with maximum fungal species followed by marigoan samples so as to Banana varieties Amrit Sagar endowed 27 no. of fungi followed by Jehaji and Honda which were associated with a maximum 14 fungal sp. Isolation frequency and relative abundance of Cladosporium cladosporiodes (80%, 4.6), Paecilomyces farinosus (80%, 4.6) followed by Penicillium ruburm, Aspergillus sp. 8 & 9 (70%, 4.02) were recorded as maximum comparatively in different sites. However, Aspergillus sp. 8, Mortieralla sp. and Pacilomyces farinosus are isolated frequently from different banana varieties (73.33%, 4.93).