Analysis of physico-chemical parameters andseasonal distribution of soil fungi inthiruvarurdistrict, tamilnadu

Abstract

Soil is a complex ecosystem, soil beneath our foot constitute rich source of microbes whose abundance are affected by both biotic and abiotic factors. Biodiversity might help sustain multiple ecosystem functions. Fungi fulfill a range of important ecological functions, yet current understanding of fungal biodiversity in soil is limited. Soil fungi have pivotal ecological roles as decomposers, pathogens and symbionts. This study highly intend to examine the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil samples and to identify as many fungi as possible present in the four seasons of soil collected from major soil types of Thiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu. The population mean density of fungi varied from 99.99 × 10^-3 cfu/g with the maximum in the samples was collected during post monsoon and monsoon season. The percentage of contribution of the individual species to the total fungal population at all the seasons showed variation. At the maximum percentage of contribution was found in Trichoderma harzianum. The occurrence of different fungal species fluctuated due to ecological and biological factors of the soil and enhanced the sufficient knowledge to the farmers for the conservation of soil properties, management of soil microbial diversity and the development of sustainable agricultural system.