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CYTOKININ PRIMING AS A TOOL TO INDUCE IN VITRO GROWTH AND BIOMASS PRODUCTION OF SOME SOIL FUNGI

GHAZALA NASIM^1* AND MEMOONA RAHMAN²

Abstract: Effect of different concentrations of cytokinin on growth of 4 species of soil fungi viz., Aspergillus oryzae, A. terreus, A. niger and Alternaria alternata was studied. The hormone was applied singly in various concentrations. Increased growth rate and biomass production revealed significant values when treated with dilute solutions of cytokinin at 15, 30 and 45 mgL^-1. For all test fungi fresh weights and dry weight values dropped significantly when treated with 60 mgL^-1 concentration of the hormone solution. The data on fresh and dry biomass revealed that the highest biomass increase was obtained for Alternaria alternata. Fresh biomass of Alternaria alternata showed 39.9% increase when treated with 45 mgL^-1 concentration of hormone solution in comparison to control, whereas an increase of 43.75% was obtained in the case of dry weight. At 60 mgL^-1, a significant fresh biomass suppression of 17.9% and 17.64% was observed for Aspergillus niger and A. oryzae, respectively. The highest loss for dry biomass was noticed in Alternaria alternata (18.75%).

¹Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, 54590 Pakistan

²Department of the Botany, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, 54590 Pakistan.