Isolation and characterization of fungi on the infected paddy leaf / Nurfarahin Mohd Zaki

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important crops for many countries especially Asia. However, it has been seriously invaded with pathogenic microorganisms such as fungi which caused various plant diseases to occur. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize fungi sample from infected paddy leaf. Macroscopic observation was performed to observe the texture, color and surface appearance while microscopic analysis was used to observe the asexual spore structure. In this study, results showed negative growth on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and Potato Carrot Agar (PCA). The fungi growth in the form of smooth powdery-looked structure and the color observed was black-brown. However, the identification of fungi cannot be obtained due to the cross contamination and the microscopic observation revealed that the organism was yeast due to the presence of budding process. . It is recommended to use molecular method for identification of fungi.