Fungal endophytes of Panicum maximum and Pennisetum purpureum: isolation, identification, and determination of antifungal potential

ABSTRACT This study aimed to isolate and identify endophytic fungi from the forage grass P. maximum and evaluate their ability to inhibit the growth of plant pathogenic fungi. One sample from P. purpureum grass was also included. Surface disinfected stem fragments were used for endophytic fungal isolation. One hundred and twenty-six endophytic fungi were isolated, of which 118 were from P. maximum and eight from P. purpureum. Morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 18S (NS) sequence comparisons identified [...]