Molecular identification of seed borne non-sporulating endophytic mycobiota of rice landraces and its impact on soil borne rice pathogens

Endophytes were isolated from the seeds of two rice landraces viz. Malabati and Champa collected from Odisha, India. Both were non sporulating cultures. The ITS region of ribosomal DNA was amplified and both isolates were identified by molecular techniques as two species of Dendryphiella. The Gen Bank accession numbers fot these endophytes were KT796364 & KT796365. The endophyte from rice variety Malabati was different than the other Dendryphiella specie reported earlier. Hence its impact on three soil borne rice pathogens was studied. Sclerotia production by Rhizoctonia solani (c.o. of sheath blight of rice) was drastically reduced and causal organisms of Aggregate sheath spot (c.o R.oryzae sative ) and seedling blight (c.o. Sclerotium) could not produce the sclerotia. This endophyte thus has the ability to manage the soil borne sclerotia-producing rice pathogens.