Leaf endophytic fungi of chili (Capsicum annuum) and their role in the protection against Aphis gossypii (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Abstract

Hernawati H, Wiyono S, Santoso S (2011) Leaf endophytic fungi of chili (Capsicum annuum) and their role in the protection againstAphis gossypii (Homoptera: Aphididae). . The objectives of the research were to study the diversity of leaf endophytic fungi of chili, and investigate its potency in protecting host plants against Aphis gossypii Glov. Endophytic fungi were isolated from chili leaves with two categories: aphid infested plants and aphid-free plants, collected from farmer's field in Bogor, West Java. Abundance of each fungal species from leave samples was determined by calculating frequency of isolation. The isolated fungi were tested on population growth of A. gossypii. The fungal isolates showed suppressing effect in population growth test, was further tested on biology attributes i.e. life cycle, fecundity and body length. Five species of leaf endophytic fungi of chili were found i.e. Aspergillus flavus, Nigrospora sp., Coniothyrium sp., and SH1 (sterile hypha 1), SH2 (sterile hypha 2). Even though the number of endophytic fungi species in aphid-free and aphid-infested plant was same, the abundance of each species was different. Nigrospora sp., sterile hyphae 1 and sterile hyphae 2 was more abundant in aphid-free plants, but there was no difference in dominance of Aspergillus flavus and Coniothyrium sp. Nigrospora sp., SH1 and SH2 treatment reduced significantly fecundity of A. gossypii. Only SH2 treatment significantly prolonged life cycle and suppress body length, therefore the fungus had the strongest suppressing effect on population growth among fungi tested. The abundance and dominance of endophytic fungal species has relation with the infestation of A. gossypii in the field.

Antifungal Activity of Beauveria bassiana Endophyte against Botrytis cinerea in Two Solanaceae Crops

“…Studies conducted by Paul et al [37] reveal an assorted diversity of endophytic microorganisms in chili pepper, including some entomopathogens as Paecilomyces, Cordyceps, Cladosporium, and Penicillium; however, the authors do not report the natural presence of B. bassiana. Recent studies on chili and sweet pepper demonstrated the endophytic colonization of B. bassiana, and these are some examples of the limited numbers of reports about the colonization on this species [38,39].…”

Identifikasi Cendawan Endofit Menggunakan Teknik Polymerase Chain Reaction

“…Hal tersebut disebabkan karena morfologi koloni cendawan endofit dapat berubahubah, sebagian cendawan endofit tumbuh sangat lambat dan sering kali tidak terjadi sporulasi (Hyde dan Soytong 2008). Tiga dari 5 isolat cendawan endofit yang diperoleh Hernawati et al (2011) dapat diidentifikasi berdasarkan pada morfologi koloni dan spora yang terbentuk, sedangkan 2 isolat lainnya merupakan hifa steril sehingga identitasnya hanya dapat diketahui melalui teknik PCR yang dilanjutkan dengan perunutan DNA.…”

Effect of crop management and cultivar on colonization of Capsicum annuum L. by Endophytic Fungi

“…At the end of their experiments, 26-60% of the Trichoderma-treated plants were free of symptoms, while in the control only 0-10% stayed healthy. In yet another study, the presence of endophytic fungi has been shown to inhibit the growth, virility, and reproduction of the aphid Aphis gossypii [17]. Some fungal strains even seem appropriate for biological protection, as demonstrated by Martinuz et al, who induced systemic resistance to Aphis gossypii using Fusarium oxysporum Fo162 and Rhizobium etli G12 strains [18].…”