Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in sustainable crop production and forestry in Sri Lanka-A review

Mycorrhizae are symbiotic associations between a soil-borne fungus and plant root.Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)are the most common type of mycorrhizal associations occurring in plants.AMF can increase plant growth mainly by improving nutrient uptake and making plants resistant to several biotic and abiotic stresses.Thus,AMF could be referred to as an important biofertilizer for the crop production.However,in Sri Lankan context,seems the knowledge and use of AMF is limited,though there is a great potential of using AMF for sustainable crop production and forestry.This review provides an overview on the benefits of AMF for agriculture and forestry with the studies that have been carried out to attain them,in Sri Lanka.

First successful domestication of a white strain of Auricularia cornea from Thailand

Intraspecies colour variations in cultivated edible mushrooms present novel and potentially valuable alternatives to the research and cultivation industries.In this study,we collected,identified,and domesticated a white strain of Auricularia cornea from Thailand.The brown strain of A.cornea is one of the top two species of Auricularia cultivated and traded in Asia.Since both white and brown phenotypes of A.cornea belong to a single species,we established their similarities or differences.Both morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of ITS rDNA sequence data were used to confirm the taxonomic placement of the white A.cornea strain in the same clade with the brown A.cornea.Nutritional analysis showed that fat,fiber,protein,and total soluble sugar contents of the white A.cornea were significantly higher than the commercially used brown strain.The melanin content of the white strain of A.cornea(less than 1.5 mg/100g)was not significantly different from that of the brown strain.This discovery may create new opportunities for the mushroom growing industry and for smallholder farmers in Asia.

Fungi and insects as models of extraordinary symbiosis

Symbiosis among microorganisms represents an interesting relationship that takes different shapes.Obligatory,facultative,and endosymbiotic relationships have all been reported between different microorganisms.Whether it is mutualism,commensalism,amensalism,or parasitism,understanding every association is of great importance to science and humanity.Knowing how these creatures benefit from each other may be useful for biocontrol purposes,or even for discovery of novel metabolites that result from these associations,and which may not be produced by the individual species.In this review,five examples of symbiosis were presented,including among the Laboulbeniales;Septobasidium;Ambrosia Fungi and Beetles;Leaf-cutter ants and their fungus gardens;and finally,termites and Termitomyces.Moreover,the benefits each partner is getting were highlighted,and uniqueness in every form of those symbiosis models was simply described.

Zasmidium persicae comb.nov.,a new leaf spotting hyphomycete from Laos

Comprehensive examination of cercosporoid leaf-spotting hyphomycetes was carried out in the southern areas of Laos.During this study,a species of Stenella was recorded for the first time from Laos,and according to current taxonomic concepts,this species is transferred to the genus Zasmidium.

New host and geographic records of five pleosporalean hyphomycetes associated with Musa spp.(Banana)

A study was undertaken to collect and identify saprobic fungi associated with Musa spp.(banana)from Taiwan(China),and Thailand.Samples were collected during the dry season and their morpho-molecular relationships were investigated.Five brown pleosporalean hyphomycetous taxa in Periconiaceae and Torulaceae viz.Periconia cortaderiae,P.delonicis,Torula chromolaenae,T.fici,and T.masonii were identified for the first time from Musa spp.(Musaceae).Phylogenetic analyses of a combined SSU,LSU,ITS,RPB2 and TEF DNA sequence dataset further justified the taxonomic placements of these five taxa in the above mentioned families.Periconia delonicis is reported for the first time on a monocotyledonous host and T.masonii is the first geographical record from Taiwan(China).

Global perspectives on the ecological,cultural and socioeconomic relevance of wild edible fungi

Wild edible fungi(WEF),including mushrooms and truffles,comprise a natural source of nutritious and healthy food.The consumption of WEF began at least 18,700 years ago during the Stone Age.Current data from over 100 countries indicates the existence of more than 2,100 edible species,a figure that is continually growing,as vast regions and many cultures remain understudied.However,only around 30 species of WEF are grown commercially at a large-scale.WEF also play a key ecological role in the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems and have significantly contributed in shaping all life on the planet.Either as food,medicine or both,they are important for the survival,cultures,and economies of hundreds of ethnic groups around the globe.Over the last 15 years,there has been a noteworthy increase in the international trade of WEF,which is currently estimated at billions(USD)annually.In 2017,the WEF global trade,of either fresh or processed products,exceeded 1,230,000 tonnes.Due to their ecological,sociocultural and economic importance,the international WEF trade has a role to play in the post-pandemic recovery period.The main challenge of this period will be maintaining natural ecosystems while simultaneously improving human wellbeing.Critical elements of this challenge include ensuring food security,enhancing rural development,creating sustainable jobs,mitigating hunger,and slowing the loss of traditional knowledge generated over millennia.This review analyzes the ways in which sustainable use of WEF could contribute to achieving these goals.

Linking ectomycorrhizal mushroom species richness and composition with dominant trees in a tropical seasonal rainforest

Vegetation,elevation gradient and soil temperature are considered as major drivers of ECM fungi species richness.ECM sporocarps were collected during rainy seasons for two years to study the link between the distribution of ECM mushrooms with Castonopsis echinocarpa,Parashorea chinensis,and Pittosporopsis kerrii with varying elevations and soil temperatures,in a tropical rain forest Xishuangbanna,Yunnan,China.For each tree species,60 trees of approximately the same size were selected,where half of them were growing at higher elevation levels and the rest at lower levels.The highest total counts of ECM fungi,as well as the highest species richness were produced by P.chinensis followed by C.echinocarpa and P.kerrii.Highest species richness was shown in September by P.chinensis,while P.kerrii trees had the lowest count of mushrooms across rainy seasons.Species of Boletales were recorded with highest species richness followed by species of order Agaricales around both C.echinocarpa and P.chinensis.ECM fungi count declined with increased elevation.Furthermore,fungi species richness increased positively with increased soil temperature in a tropical seasonal rainforest.

A review of Entoloma sensu lato(Basidiomycota,Entolomataceae)from Yunnan Province,China

This review succinctly discusses data on morphology,systematics,ecology and biochemical properties of all the Entoloma species from Yunnan Province,China.We also propose directions for future research on Entoloma.Altogether,8 species of Entoloma have been reported in the present study.Entoloma sinuatum and E.mengsongense showed the most contrasting variation in colour and size of the basidiomes while E.mengsongense and E.yunnanense were found to display wide variations in spore morphology.Most species are saprotrophic except E.caeruleoflavum and E.sinuatum which form mycorrhizal associations.Knowledge on biochemical and other chemical attributes of the genus are minimal although such details would help for better utilization of the genus.

Morphological and molecular identification of Panus conchatus(Polyporaceae,Polyporales)from Yunnan Province,China

Panus conchatus is a species of lentinoid fungi in the family Polyporaceae.This species is characterized by its concave,smooth,deeply decurrent gills,with distinctive purple grey to greyish magenta basidiocarps.This fungus is widely distributed in both tropical and temperate regions.Here,we report a specimen of P.conchatus collected from a temperate region in Yunnan Province,China.The specimen is described and illustrated based on macro-and micro-morphological characteristics.Phylogenetic analyses were done based on the sequence data of ITS and LSU,and the placement of the taxon was confirmed.This is the first time P.conchatus has been reported with molecular phylogenetic data from China.Full description,illustrations,color photographs,and a phylogenetic tree to show the placement of P.conchatus are provided.