Diversity of phylloplane microflora in certain tea cultivars of Assam, North-East India

The phylloplane is considered as the hostile
environment for microbial growth. Phylloplane
microflora plays important role affecting the plant
microbe interactions in leaf surface and thereby
contribute significantly for beneficial plant growth
and disease suppression. Qualitative and quantita
tive composition of phylloplane microflora depends
on change in various parameters such as host
characteristics, leaf architecture, chemical environ
ment of the corresponding leaf surface and altering
micro and macro climatic conditions. In the present
investigation, the qualitative and quantitative
estimation of fungi and quantitative estimation of
bacteria and actinomycetes were carried out in the
phylloplane of certain tea cultivars of Assam like
TV 1, TV 18, TV 25, Teenali 17, T.3E/3, S.3A/1,
S.3A/3 and Clone 663 using a culture-based
approach. The study revealed the existence of more
bacterial populations over fungi irrespective of the
tea clones. Quantitatively the density of bacteria in
young leaves (3rd leaf) ranged between 7.0x104
cfu/ml to 90x104 cfu/ml while the fungal population
ranged from 1.0x104 cfu/ml to 37x104 cfu/ml
respectively. Irrespective of the methods used, the
actinomycetes population was found to be scarce.
Microbial density was maximum in February and
minimum in June. Leaf surface of TV 1 showed
maximum microbial occurrence. Qualitatively a
total of 10 fungal genera were isolated throughout
the investigation of which Aspergillus and Penicil
lium were recorded as the dominant mycoflora.