STUDIES ON THE RHIZOSPHERIC SOIL FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH NEPETA CATARIA L. AND RUMEX DENTATUS L. IN DISTRICT KULGAM OF KASHMIR VALLEY

Plants get all types of nutrients from the soil either by the direct assimilation of nutrients from the soil or through various other pathways like their association with bacteria and fungi. Rhizospheric soil fungi and their association, isolation, identification and characterization with two plants viz Nepeta cataria L. and Rumex dentatus L. have been analysed. The fungi isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Nepeta cateria are Rhizopus stolonifer, Pencillium notatum, Pencillium sp. and Aspergillus niger. While the fungi isolated from rhizosphere of Rumex dentatus are Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus niger and Pencillium notatum. Among these fungi the highest frequency was of Pencillium sp. (100%) in case of Nepeta cateria followed by Rhizopus stolonifer (80%), Penicillium notatum (60%) and Aspergillus niger (60%). While in case of Rumex dentatus, the highest frequency was observed in both Rhizopus stolonifer (100%) and Pencillium notatum (100%) followed by Aspergillus niger (80%)