FUNGAL DIVERSITY IN CHEMICALLY FERTILIZED PADDY CROP FIELDS OF BASAJHAL VILLAGE KOTA REGION OF BILASPUR DISTRICT

The Chhattisgarh state is considered as the “Rice Bowl of India” and the crop rice is a part of an ancient plant of agronomic importance globally. Around one-third of the global population relies on rice. The soil of the paddy eld is an inhabitant of several microbial biomes due to the richness of organic matter and minerals. The nutritional enrichment of the soil system is directly correlated with microbial growth, especially mycoora. The present study revealed that the dominant fungal species were Neosartorya fischeri, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus oryzae, and Penicillium notatum were observed in the rice crop elds of Basajhal, Kota, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. This research could further be extended to explore the importance of each fungal strain in nutrient recycling in the soil system.