Molecular Identification of Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Axonopus compressus (Lawn grass) around Tirunelveli District

Abstract

Endophytes are associated with grasses and produce positive and negative effects for host. It enhances the biometric parameters and increase the biomass value. Some endophytes produce active substances that exert a negative influence on grass fed life stock. The aim of the research was analysing the diversity of endophytic fungi on lawn grass.  Fungal identification was carried out through morphological characteristic and molecular analysis of DNA sequence generated from ITS rRNA region. Totally ten species of endophytic fungi were isolated from 50 plant sample such as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Alternaria alternata, Alternaria solani, Cladosporium cladosporioides Epicoccum nigrum, Fusarium chlamydosporum, Fusarium lateritium and Pythium acanthicum, and. From the above-mentioned species the most prevalent genus was Alternaria and Fusarium.