Seasonal Shifts and Edaphic Drivers of Culturable Mycoflora in the Paddy Ecosystems of North Bihar

Amrita Kumari; Sabita Verma

Seasonal Shifts and Edaphic Drivers of Culturable Mycoflora in the Paddy Ecosystems of North Bihar

Author(s)	Amrita Kumari, Dr. Sabita Verma
Country	India
Abstract	Soil fungi play a vital role in agricultural environments. They break down crop residues and help maintain soil health. Paddy ecosystems go through frequent changes due to flooding and tillage. We need to understand how fungal communities react to these shifts. This study looks at the culturable soil mycoflora in the paddy fields of North Bihar. The goal was to map their seasonal changes and figure out how soil conditions affect their numbers. We collected soil samples from different depths in the fields. We used the serial dilution method and grew the samples on Potato Dextrose Agar. This allowed us to isolate and identify the aerobic and fast growing fungi present in the soil. We then counted the fungal isolates across different seasons. We compared these counts with soil moisture, temperature, and pH levels using statistical correlation. The results showed twelve distinct fungal genera in the soil. The most common types were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Trichoderma. Fungal populations reached their highest point during the monsoon season. We recorded 312 isolates during this wet period. The numbers dropped to 210 isolates during the dry summer months. We found a very strong positive correlation between the number of fungal isolates and soil moisture. The r value for this relationship was 0.86. Temperature had a moderate effect. Soil pH had a weak effect. We noticed that fungal diversity was much higher in the surface soil layer. The numbers fell sharply in the deeper soil layers. These findings highlight how environmental factors shape the fungal community. Moisture is the main driver of fungal growth in these paddy fields. The topsoil contains the most organic matter from leftover crop stubble. This creates a perfect environment for fast growing saprophytic fungi to thrive. Genera like Aspergillus and Penicillium are excellent at breaking down this organic material. The high presence of Trichoderma is very promising. This fungus is known to fight off plant diseases naturally. Our methodology mainly captured fungi that grow quickly on standard agar plates. This means we might have missed slower growing or strictly anaerobic fungi that live in flooded soils. However, the data still gives us a clear picture of the primary decomposer community. The natural abundance of these specific fungi suggests that the soil has a strong capacity for nutrient recycling.
Keywords	Soil mycoflora, Paddy ecosystem, Seasonal variation, Edaphic factors, Fungal diversity, Culturable fungi, Trichoderma
Field	Biology > Agriculture / Botany
Published In	Volume 17, Issue 3, July-September 2026
Published On	2026-07-16

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Seasonal Shifts and Edaphic Drivers of Culturable Mycoflora in the Paddy Ecosystems of North Bihar

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