AbstractsEconomics

Piriformospora indica is the axenically cultivable model organism of the newly defined order Sebacinales within the phylum Basidiomycota In the current study the mass cultivation of P indica preparation of its bioinoculant formulation and its bioefficacy testing have been analyzed Further in vitro interaction between P indica and some soil borne plant pathogens has also been done newlineIn the present studies various carrier materials viz talcum powder sawdust clay and bioboost with different inoculum concentration were analyzed for storage conditions shelf life and their biological activity potential Talcum powder suited the overall purpose having better shelf life up to about nine months at room temperature The optimum storage condition of the bioinoculant with optimal biological activity in terms of root colonization potential was found to be at around normal room temperature which was also economically feasible newlineThis bioinoculant formulation was subjected to trials on selected target plants of economic importance in different agroclimatic zones These trials helped to optimize the dosage of formulation on different target plants In the pot trials conducted on Phaseolus vulgaris Oryza sativa and Triticum aestivum the plant growth attributes were positively influenced when inoculated with the formulation The plant height fresh weight and dry weights of the target plants were observed to be enhanced significantly on the application of all the dosages Specific treatment of 10g of 5 percent formulation was found to be the best suited for all the plants newlineExtended to the field trials the 5 per cent formulation was applied on O sativa and Saccharum officinarum plants Growthpromoting activity of the fungus resulted in enhanced germination of seeds and overall yield of the plants The roots of the target plants showed colonization by the fungus The inoculant also conferred disease resistance in O sativa against root pathogens Although the overall growth and production was significantly enhanced in S officinarum but resistance against red rot and sett rot diseases was not influenced In the studies upon infestation with P indica roots were protected from pathogen infections as evidenced by reduction in disease symptoms newlineHowever the degree of reduction in disease symptoms varied significantly based on the dosages and the nature of application To study interaction between P indica and some plant pathogens the dual culture were performed P indica significantly inhibited their growth at the optimal temperature and also affected the hyphal morphology of the pathogens Effect of sterilefiltered supernatants culture filtrate of P indica on the growth of pathogens revealed alteration in pathogen hyphal morphology and eventually lysed them with the passage of time and tested positively for cell wall degrading enzymes laminarinase and chitinase newlineBased on studies it was concluded that this root colonizing endophytic fungus promotes growth of many plant species of economical importance including cereals and legumes…