MYCOPATH, Vol 12, No 1 (2014)

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Effect of metrological factors on incidence of aeromycoflora of potato field

Adnan Ahmed Rana, Gulshan Irshad, Kamran Saleem, Muhammad Ibrahim, Wajid Sarosh and Muhammad Ashfaq

Abstract


Aeromycoflora of potato field was isolated using gravimetric Petri Plate method using 3 different growth media i.e. 2% potato dextrose agar, 2% nutrient agar and 2% water agar. A total of 14 fungi belonging to 9 genera (Aspergillus, Fusarium, Alternaria, Drechslera, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Botrytis, Penicillium and Rhizopus) were identified. The most dominant fungus was Cladosporium sp. (10.67%), followed by Alternaria alternata (10.30%), A. solani (7.80%), Aspergillus niger (7.27%), Penicillium sp. (7.12%) and Fusarium oxysporum (7.02%). Early blight disease was predominantly observed on potato crop during course of investigation. A. solani, the causal agent of early blight was isolated from diseased potato plants as well as from the air. The results of pathogenicity tests on potato plants were found positive as well. Metrological parameters (temperature, rainfall and wind speed) were positively correlated with prevalence of isolated fungi as well as with A. solani. Moreover, aeromycoflora was found maximum during March, April and May as compared to December and January. The present investigation on air borne mycoflora will be helpful in disease forecasting, epidemiology and timely disease management especially in case of early blight in potato field.


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