Showing papers by "Sumera Afzal Khan published in 2012"
TL;DR: Endophytic fungal interactions with soybean can be beneficial to improve soybean quality and quantity under salt affected agricultural systems.
Abstract: Little is known about the role of endophytic fungi against abiotic stresses and isoflavonoids (IF) contents of soybean. In current study, we investigated the role of fungal endophytes on the growth of soybean under salt stress conditions. Pure cultures of nine endophytic fungi were isolated from the roots of field-grown soybean plants, and their culture filtrates were screened on Waito-C and Dongjin-byeo rice cultivars; for identification of plant growth promoting fungal strains. It was observed that fungal isolate GMC-2B significantly promoted the growth of both Waito-C and Dongjin-byeo. GMC-2B was later identified as a new strain of Metarhizium anisopliae LHL07 on the basis of 18S rDNA sequences and phylogenetic analysis. Metarhizium anisopliae LHL07 inoculated soybean plants recorded significantly higher shoot length, shoot fresh and dry biomass, chlorophyll contents, transpiration rate, photosynthetic rate and leaf area; under sodium chloride induced salt stress as compared to non-inoculated control plants. An elevated proline and reduced superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde contents in M. anisopliae LHL07 inoculated soybean plants demonstrated mitigation of salt induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, reduced abscisic acid and elevated jasmonic acid contents in soybean plants confirmed that lesser stress was convened to M. anisopliae inoculated-plants under salinity stress. We also assessed the role of M. anisopliae interaction on IF biosynthesis of soybean, and found significantly higher IF contents in M. anisopliae inoculated soybean plants. In conclusion, endophytic fungal interactions with soybean can be beneficial to improve soybean quality and quantity under salt affected agricultural systems.
122 citations
01 Jan 2012
TL;DR: It was concluded that a major proportion of endophytic fungi inhabiting sand dune plants produce metabolites, which are helpful in plant growth and development.
Abstract: We investigated plant growth promoting activity of roots inhabiting endophytic fungi in order to evaluate their role in the survival of host plants under extreme sand dune environment of coastal regions. For this purpose, 122 fungal isolates were collected from the roots of 9 sand dune plants and were screened for growth promoting secondary metabolites. Our results showed that 101 fungal isolates (82.7%) promoted plant height and shoot length of Waito-C rice, while 21 fungal isolates (17.2%) inhibited growth attributes. The fungal isolate Gibberella fujikuroi along with distilled water and Czapek broth medium were used as control during the experiment. It was concluded that a major proportion of endophytic fungi inhabiting sand dune plants produce metabolites, which are helpful in plant growth and development.
27 citations
TL;DR: This study investigated GAs production and plant growth-promoting capacity of an endophytic fungus isolated from the roots of soil grown soybean plants and identified a new strain of Cephalotheca sulfurea through molecular and phylogenetic approaches.
Abstract: Gibberellins (GAs) are well known for plant growth promotion. GAs production by fungi has received little attention, although substantial work has been carried out on other aspects of plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF). We investigated GAs production and plant growth-promoting capacity of an endophytic fungus isolated from the roots of soil grown soybean plants. The endophytic fungus is reported as GAs producer and as PGPF for the first time in this study. Nine endophytic isolates were collected from the roots of soybean, and culture filtrates (CFs) obtained from their pure cultures were screened on Waito-C, a dwarf rice cultivar, for the presence of GAs. Of these, seven fungal isolates promoted shoot length as compared to control (distilled water), while one inhibited it. Three fungal isolates were selected on the basis of higher shoot elongation as compared to wild type Gibberella fujikuroi, which was used as positive control. The growth-prompting capacity of selected fungal isolates SB5-1, SB...
16 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Recovery of both the entomopathogenic nematodes when they were applied alone was comparatively more than when applied with the root knot nematode but in case of H. indica its recovery was more when it was applied at the same time with the M. javanica.
Abstract: Steinernema glaseri and Heterorhabditis indica applied at different inoculum levels before and simultaneously with root knot nematodes were investigated for invasion of Meloidogyne spp. in tomato. Suppression of M. incognita varied with application rate of S. glaseri, and H. indica The high application rates of, S. glaseri and H. indica applied both same and before reduced invasion of M. incognita. The low rate of S. glaseri and H. indica were not as effective as high rates. Both entomopathogenic nematodes when applied at 1250 and 2500/pot 24 h before or at the same time reduced the invasion of root knot nematodes in tomato root. Whereas S. glaseri applied at 500 /pot at the same time with the root-knot nematodes reduced the invasion. Both the entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) applied 24 h before or at the same time with root knot nematodes at 2500/pot reduced the invasion as compared with 500/pot. Only H. indica significantly reduced invasion when it was applied at 1250/pot 24 h before the root knot nematodes. Whereas S. glaseri applied at the same time and H. indica 24 h before at 2500/pot significantly reduced the invasion as compared with 1250/pot. S. glaseri was more effective in reducing the invasion as compared to H. indica. Recovery of both the entomopathogenic nematodes when they were applied alone was comparatively more than when applied with the root knot nematodes. But in case of H. indica its recovery was more when it was applied at the same time with the M. javanica.
5 citations