Leaf Surface Mycoflora around the Hospital Area with Special Reference to Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Abstract

Leaf surface provide an important substrate for the growth of a wide variety of fungal organisms. Saprophytic fungi obtain water and nutrients from these surface and leaf surface provide a physical environment suitable for growth and reproduction. For phytopathogenic fungi, the leaf surface represents a temporary, supportive environment, but a surface must be breached before a successful pathogenic interaction can become established. Thus, the physical and chemical characteristics of the leaf surface play an important role in governing the success or failure of fungal growth on, and subsequently in, the leaf. The present paper deals with leaf surface mycoflora around the hospital area with special reference to Dr.Bhim Rao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, Raipur Chhattisgarh was done by using leaf suspension on PDA (Potato Dextrose Agar) medium for the period of one year from July 2006 to June 2007. During the present study, total 46 fungal species (173 colonies) belonging to 22 genera were recorded. Class wise percentage contribution were recorded and showed that, Anamorphic fungi contributed maximum (96.53%) followed by Zygomycotina (2.87%) and Ascomycotina (0.58%). Season wise total percentage contribution of leaf surface mycoflora were also recorded and showed that maximum contribution were observed in winter season (48.55 %), moderate (30.64%) in rainy season and minimum (20.81%) in summer season. Similarly, maximum contribution were found in the month of November (24.86%) and minimum contribution were observed during the month of June (3.47%). It is also shows that fungal species i.e. Cladosporium sphaerospermum (12.13%), C. Cladosporioides (8.09%), Alternaria alternata (7.51%), Aspergillus niger and Curvularia lunata (5.75%), Phoma fimeti (4.62%) and Aspergillus flavus (4.04%) were most contributed leaf surface mycoflora. It is also observed that, Cladosporium sphaerospermum (23.80%) and C. Cladosporioides (10.71%) were most dominated in winter season, while Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus niger (13.20%) were dominated in rainy season. The presence of these fungi supports the idea that the air spora constitutes the source of many fungi that can potentially colonize the leaf surface.