Molecular and Phenotypic Characterization ofGanoderma lucidumInfecting Palms and Forest Trees in India

Abstract

Basal stem rot (BSR) is an important disease caused by Ganoderma lucidum in economically important palms and forest trees. Thirty-five isolates were collected from all over India under different agroclimatic zones from different hosts and these isolates were characterized for cultural, phenotypical and molecular variations. The colony colour range from white to pale yellow or yellow. The aerial mycelium consist mostly thin walled, branched hyphae with clamp connections. Some isolates showed sparse mycelial growth and chlamydospore formation on the PDA medium. Amongst the three liquid media tested for growth of G. lucidum, the potato dextrose broth was significantly superior to other Waksman media and Glucose special media in the order of importance. Lignin degrading enzyme laccase activity was observed higher on fast growing isolates followed by medium and slow growing G. lucidum isolates. Molecular variability studies were also done with six random primers after preliminary screening with thirty random primers to group the G. lucidum isolates. All the slow growing isolates and few medium growing G. lucidum isolates were grouped in cluster A, but all the fast growing isolates were grouped in cluster B to G.