About the Book

This volume is the outcome of the various papers presented and discussed during the National Conference on “Emerging Trends in Mycology, Plant Pathology and Microbial Biotechnology”, organised by the Department of Botany, Osmania University, and Hyderabad.

Microorganisms, omnipresent and cosmopolitan in nature, represent bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, algae, protozoans etc. There exists a great diversity among various microorganisms and even within a group of microorganisms, depending on the habitat and environmental factors.

The microorganisms are either beneficial or detrimental in nature. The later effects are by way of causing serious diseases to plants, animals and mankind. The direct beneficial effects of plants are by way of promoting their growth, through the production of phytohormones/auxins and metabolites which stimulate the microbial community in the rhizosphere. The indirect effects are by way of producing antibiotics or toxins or volatile compounds which act as biocontrol agents and thereby reducing the damage against phytopathogens.

Recent developments in molecular biology and biotechnology have thrown light in developing suitable techniques for identification and characterization of microorganisms and developing diagnostic probes for studying their relationship and variability. This has a great impact on their application for environmental sustainability and biodiversity, apart from understanding the mechanisms involved in microbe-microbe interaction in general and soil-plant–microbe interactions in particular.

The various aspects dealing with the biodiversity and taxonomy of fungi, their association with plants, molecular approaches for studying the phylogenetic relationships of microbes and their application has been covered in this volume.

Contents

I Biodiversity and Taxonomy, 1. Bahusutrabeeja manoharacharii sp. nov., a foliicolous hyphomycete from the forests of western ghats, india., 2. Rhizobial diversity : changing perspectives, 3. Aggressiveness of Corynespora cassiicola isolates and reaction of some Hevea brasiliensis clones to their infection, 4. Some interesting and rare hyphomycetous fungi from papikondalu forest, a.p., india, 5. Diversity and distribution of va mycorrhizal fungi in thirteen wheat cultivars, 6. Taxonomy of am fungi in association with Apocynaceae and Asclepiadaceae, 7. Seasonal variations of nematode population in the rhizosphere of guava and papaya, 8. Studies on the thermophilic fungi from different substrates of Dharwad, Karnataka, 9. Studies on some Aquatic Fungi, Gonapodya, 10. Phoma Sacc. : Distribution and secondary metabolite production, 11. Black Mildews on Goniothalamus species in Agasthyavanam National Park, Kerala, India, 12. The status of Chaetomium from the soils of Jalgaon, 13. Some interesting Conidial Fungi from Andhara Pradesh, India, 14. Occurrence of Lichen Flora of Nasik city and effect of Sulphur Dioxide pollutant on Pyxine petricola var. petricola Nyl., 15. Two new Hyphomycetes from forests of Karnataka, India, 16. Survey of AM Fungi Associated with Pearl Millet, 17. Marine Fungi from Sundarbans- (India)-III, 18. Growth pattern and antimicrobial spectrum of an actinomycete strain isolated from laterite soil, II Plant Pathology, 19. Diseases of Tea in Southern India and their management, 20. Soil and tuber-borne diseases of potato and their management in India, 21. Integrated management of Sorghum diseases in India*, 22.        Seed mycoflora of Pigeon pea and their management, 23. Evaluation of sorghum against grain mold and its impact on seed viability, 24. Incidence of diseases on tomato fruits in Marathwada and their biocontrol measures, 25. Screening of efficient Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains for the improvement of Soybean production, 26.         Studies on pathogenicity of fungi of Tomato, 27. Phylogenetic relationships of Colletotrichum species infecting rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) based on nuclear ribosomal DNA spacer sequences, 28. Rapid and species specific identification of environmental Isolates of Mycobacteria by Pcr-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis (Pra) Of Hsp-65 Gene, 29. Pseudomonas fluorescens mediated suppression of Black gram root rot incited by Macrophomina phaseolina, 30. Prediction and confirmation of Triple Helix DNA formation in Heat shocked Yeast. III Molecular Biology, 31. Role and control of microorganisms involved in dental caries and periodontal diseases - A Review, 32. Current scenario on the biocontrol potential of Trichoderma for the management of plant diseases, 33. The need for commercialization of biocontrol agents in India, 34. Evaluation of Mosquito larvicidal toxins in the Extra Cellular Metabolites of two fungal genera Beauveria and Trichoderma, 35. Incidence and biological activity of Fumonisins and their management, 36. Prospecting a herbal drug folk medicine: Phansomba a medicinal mushroom, 37. Mass production of Trichoderma harzianum on various indigenous agricultural products and byproducts, 38.         Anatomical and histochemical changes in the leaves of Cowpea Vigna unguiculata due to inoculation with AM fungi and Rhizobium,

About the Authors

G. Bagyanarayana, M.Sc., Ph.D. (Osmania University) is a Professor in Botany Department, Osmania University, and Hyderabad. He has 30 years of teaching and research experience. He has guided Ph.D. students, published more than 80 papers in National and International journals of repute. He is a recipient of Prof. M.J. Narasimhan Award and gold medal by Indian Phytopathological Society.

B. Bhadraiah, M.Sc.Ph.D is working as a Professor in Botany Department, Osmania University, and Hyderabad. He has 26 years of teaching and research experience. He is the author of five books and has published more than 28 research papers in national journals.