Phyllosphere Microflora of Muga Silkworm Host Plant Persea bombycina Kost (Som) Leaves in Jorhat District of Assam, India

Phyllosphere microorganisms influence the growth of their host plants, either negatively as pathogens or positively by increasing the stress tolerance and disease resistance. Persea bombycina Kost is the primary host plant of golden silk producing muga silkworm Antheraea assamensis. In this study, silkworm fed and non-fed leaf samples of Persea bombycina was collected from Jorhat District, Assam, India towards the isolation, enumeration and characterization of phylloplane microflora by culture dependent techniques using NA, Luria, Czapek-Dox, PDA and RBC Agar media. The average fungal and bacterial population was recorded more in non-fed leaf then silkworm fed leaf samples throughout the year. There was significant positive correlation between temperature and microbial population, whereas negative correlation was observed against relative humidity. Characterization of bacterial isolates was carried out by Gram’s staining method and according to Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. Out of eight isolates, two were Gram positive cocci, three Gram positive rod, two Gram negative rod and one Gram negative cocci. Fungal isolates were identified on the basis of their colony morphology, mycelium, sporangiophore and spore morphology. It was noticed that the Penicillium species is dominant among all the isolated fungal species. Other isolates were identified as Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp. and Yeast.