A total of 75 bird feathers and 22 animal hair samples (97 samples) were processed for invitro degradation of keratin. Both keratinophilic and keratinolytic fungi were identified and among them, 22 fungal genera were isolated which represented about 27 different species. All the 27 isolates were keratinophilic and among them 12 were found to have keratinolytic activity. Hen feather samples showed a high incidence of about 55 fungal isolates, followed by kaadai (Wild chicken) samples with 27 isolates, rabbit hair samples with 19, turkey and pigeon each with 18 isolates, 12 isolates were obtained from the goat hair samples, cow hair samples with 5 isolates and cat and dog hair with 2 isolates respectively. Among the 158 isolated fungal species, the genus Aspergillus was the found to be predominant. Among them, Aspergillus niger was predominant with 38 isolates followed by Fusarium spp. with 19 isolates and Scopulariopsis spp. was found to be in 11 isolates.
Methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a known resistance inducer molecule, when applied was found to give protection against the attack of internode borer (INB) Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (Kapur) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in sugarcane to the extent of 86.67% as against 73.33% damage in control plants. Estimation of 12 phenolic compounds in leaf and stem tissues, following external application of 100 ppm MeJA, indicated wide variation with a 19-fold higher production in leaf than in stem tissue implying differential allocation of these chemicals within by the plant. Among all the phenolics, ferulic acid was expressed at the highest levels in both leaf and stem tissues. Such differential allocation of defensive chemicals is resorted to by the host plant to economize its resources by directing the chemicals to the site of initial attack, i.e. leaf tissue in the present case, rather than systemically deploying throughout the plant. From the observations, reduced INB attack and production of phenolics under the influence of MeJA, it is hypothesized that plant recognizes feeding by herbivores in their early stages and triggers differential production of defensive chemicals to target the early and vulnerable stage of the pest to limit losses.
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