Isolation and characterization of plant-growth promoting fungi associated with indigenous fermented amendment from root vicinity of phyllostachys aurea.

Abstract

Results revealed that ITS sequence analyses expressing five isolated fungi belonging to Ascomycota, with three distinct genera, Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Parengyodontium were phylogenetically determined which closed to the reference strains. Most of the isolates were categorized as dark septate endophytes in appearances with exception of white mycelium Parengyodontium album IMX 2. The result showed that Parengyodontium album IMX 2 had a maximum IAA productivity of 21.10 ± 1.04 μg/mL in the presence of 500 mg/L tryptophan. The fungal isolates of Cladosporium sphaerospermum IMX 1, Parengyodontium album IMX 2, Cladosporium endophytica IMX 3 and Aspergillus pseudotamarii IMX 8 exhibited variable efficiency for solubilizing tricalcium phosphate salts. Moreover, Cladosporium sphaerospermum IMX 1 significantly suppressed the growth of Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea by 49.64% and 76.73% respectively as compared to other isolates. These results suggested that IMOs and their plant growth-promoting fungi potentially could be used as a beneficial resource in promoting sustainable agriculture, which may act as a possible substitute for chemical fertilizers.