Aislamiento de hongos potencialmente micorrízicos presentes en seis especies de orquídeas nativas del sector San Pedro de Yumate, Molleturo, Azuay, Ecuador

Abstract

In Ecuador, studies related to the role of mycorrhizal fungi in orchids have been scarce. These mycorrhizal fungi play a vital role, allowing the germination, nutrition and development of the family Orchidaceae. It is possible to isolate some of these mycorrhizal fungi by extracting the roots of the orchids. This work focused on isolating fungi; For this purpose the fragments of young roots of native orchids were collected in the months of October and December 2016 in the San Pedro de Yumate community at an altitude between 3000 - 3100 m.a.s.l, to later isolate and identify potentially mycorrhizal fungi present in the different basal, medium and apical roots of the species: Pleurothallis sp, Edipendrum (2 species), Odontoglossum hallii, Cyrtochilum macranthum and Odontoglossum pardinum. Twenty young root fragments were harvested per species and seeded in Fungi Insolation Medium (FIM) culture medium, obtaining 60 fragments corresponding to the different sections of the root (basal, medial, apical). Subsequently, the replanting was carried out in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) culture medium, being able to isolate 28 colonies of fungi that probably belong to the genera Tulasnella and Ceratobasidium, due to their morphological characteristics. The isolated fungi will be identified by systematic molecular analysis, corresponding to the second phase in the project "Study of the symbiotic relationship orchid-mycorrhiza in the province of Azuay, Ecuador" funded by the DIUC.