Jahagirdar, ShamaraoBrunda, K.S.2024-07-162024-07-160200https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810212034A total of 30 fungal and 30 bacterial endophytes were isolated from healthy soybean plants during kharif 2017 from major soybean growing areas of northern Karnataka viz., Belagavi, Haveri, Bidar, Dharwad and parts of Maharashtra viz., Kolhapur and Sangli districts. Maximum number of endophytes were obtained from Belagavi district (21) followed by Dharwad district (15). Mean maximum endophyte association was observed in irrigated condition (1.38 for fungal and 1.63 for bacterial endophytes), black soil (1.31 for fungal and 1.46 for bacterial) and at vegetative stage (1.73 for fungal and 1.27 for bacterial). In dual culture method of screening, the endophytes RF-BV-3, SF-DM-8, RB-KK-6, SB-BS-6 and LB-BU-1 were effective against Sclerotium rolfsii and the isolates SF-DM-8, SB-DG-11 and LB-BiN-8 were effective against Rhizoctonia bataticola. The effective endophytes against Fusarium oxysporum were RF-BV-3, SF-BV-3, SF-DM-8, SF-DS-10, LF-HH-5, LF-DM-10, LF-DD-13, LF-KK-14, RB-HS-1, SB-BiJ-9, LB-BU-1 and LB-BV-2. Based on cultural, morphological and molecular methods, the effective fungal endophytes were identified as Daldinia eschscholtzi (RF-BV-3), Fusarium solani (SF-BV-3 and LF-KK-14), Neofusicoccum parvum (SF-DM-8), Diaporthe phaseolorum (SF-DS-10 and LF-HH-5), Phomopsis sp. (LF-DM-10) and Colletotrichum aenigma (LF-DD-13). The effective bacterial endophytes were identified as Acinetobacter sp. (RB-HS-1), Alcaligenes faecalis (RB-KK-6), Stenotrophomonas sp. (SB-BiJ-9), Bacillus pumilus (SB-DG-11 and LB-BiN-8), Paenalcaligenes sp. (LB-BU-1), Bacillus cereus (SB-BS-6) and Brevibacillus sp. (LB-BV-2). Under glasshouse studies, SF-DM-8 was effective against all the three pathogens (less disease incidence of 21.88 % against S. rolfsii, 27.50 % against R. bataticola and 25.00 % against F. oxysporum) and showed enhanced growth promotion activity (increased plant height, leaflet number etc.) with maximum disease incidence of 100 per cent in untreated check. The endophyte RB-KK-6 was effective against S. rolfsii with less disease incidence (31.25 %). The endophytes RF-BV-3 and SB-BiJ-9 were effective against F. oxysporum with minimum disease incidence of 16.67 per cent.EnglishThesis