STUDY OF RHIZOSPHERIC MYCOFLORA OF TURMERIC (CURCUMA LONGA L.) GROWING AREAS FROM JHANSI VICINITY

Abstract

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is an ancient and sacred spice of India. It is used in diversified forms as a condiment, flavouring, colouring agents, as curry powder and as a medicine. It is grown by its finger rhizome. Turmeric grows on diversified soil types, but it thrives best in sandy loam well drained soil. Soil is the habitat of a complex microbial community where interaction and the struggle for existence in this microbial world are equally complex. Rhizosphere is a region around roots; it is complex environment inhabiting microorganisms where roots interact with physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. To explore the soil mycoflora from turmeric growing areas of Jhansi vicinity, experiment were conducted during 2018-2019 in Department of Botany, Bundelkhand University Jhansi. The most promising genera/specie abundantently present in the soil mycoflora was also estimated. For this experiment. Soil samples were collected from 15 different turmeric growing areas of Jhansi vicinity. The soil mycoflora was obtained by soil dilution technique. About 25 different fungal species belonging to 18 genera were isolated. These species were member of Phycomycetes, Ascomycetes and Deuteromycetes.