Identification, characterisation, and localisation of hyaline spore-forming endophytic fungi in tissues of Echinochloa glabrescens Munro ex Hook. f.

Abstract

The information on the identities, characteristics, and tissue-specificity of dark spore-forming endophytic fungi in tissues of E. glabrescens had already been known. However, less information is available when it comes to hyaline spore-forming (HSF) ones. Therefore, seeds, leaves, leaf sheaths, and roots of healthy and mature E. glabrescens were sampled to determine and describe the identities, characteristics, and tissue locations of HSF endophytic fungi. Of the 147 isolates recovered in the dry season, 60 belonged to Fusarium; 55 to Trichoconiella; 11 to EF-ds163; eight to EF-ds571; four to EF-ds290; two each to Aspergillus, Hansfordia, and Peyronallaea; and one each to Colletotrichum, Geotrichum, and Mucor. Of the 415 isolates recovered in the wet season, 196 belonging to Trichoconiella, 115 to Hansfordia, 67 to Colletotrichum, 20 to Fusarium, six to Penicillium, five to Paecilomyces, three to Aspergillus, and one each to Geotrichum, Humicola, and Mucor. Fusarium sp. ds529 and Hansfordia sp. ds143 were the most dominant in the seeds. Trichoconiella sp. ds333, Hansfordia sp. ds143, and Colletotrichum sp. ds361 are dominant in the upper leaves; Trichoconiella sp. ds333 and Hansfordia sp. ds143 in the lower leaves; and Trichoconiella sp. ds333 in the leaf sheaths and roots. This study confirmed that HSF endophytic fungi also reside in different tissues of E. glabrescens.