INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS - India Environment Portal

20
Proc. 98th Indian Science Congress, Part II : Presidential Address
K. G. Mukerji, Prof. Ajit Verma, Prof. KVVR Tilak, Dr. Alok Adoleya and few
others gathered to discuss the plans for bringing together scientists working on
mycorhhiza with TERI, New Delhi as the coordinating Institution. A conference on
mycorrhiza was organized at JNU in the first instance, followed by another at CAS
in Botany, Madras and still another at Chang Mai, Thaliland with in a span of almost
5 years. Prof. Fortin from Canada and Prof. James Trappe from USA were
associated at one or the other time Dr. D J Bhagyaraj from Bangalore and C.
Manoharachary from Hyderabad along with Drs Mukerji, Mahadevan, Naatraj, Ajit
Verma, K. V. V. R Tilak helped in framing the guidelines for mycorrzial research
in India. I was also an active participant in all these deliberations.
These efforts helped in identifying groups as well as in generating interest in
others in mycorrhizal research. IDRC Canada provided some funding and training
Centers in ectomycorrhial research were established at CAS in Botany, Madras
University, Deptt. of Biosciences, H. P. University, Shimla, and TERI at New
Delhi. Deptt. of Biosciences at NEHU also became actively involved in
ectomycorrhizal research. Since then, these institutions have carried out work on
the mycorrhiza of important conifer species of their respective regions.
The research achievement on ectomycorrhiza has been periodically reviewed
(Lakhanpal, 1987, 1988, 1989a, b, 1991, Lakhanpal and Sagar, 1994 Raman and
Mahadevan, 1988a). The ectomycorrhizal research in India started in mid 1950’s
(Bakshi 1957; Bakshi and Thapar, 1960 1966). In the mid 1980’s the four centres
mentioned above became active almost simultaneously only. The research on
ectomyrrhiza at H. P. University during the last three decades has been carried out
an almost all the dominant conifer species : P. roxburghii, P. wallichiana, P.
gerardiana, Cedrus deodara, Abies pindrow, Picea smithiana and Taxus
baccata. In addition studies on the mycorrhiza of Oak, Rhododendron arboreum,
Monotropa, Orchids, Aesculus indica and Apple plants has also been carried out
(Kumar,1989; Singh 1982; Sagar, 1993; Thakur 1990; Gupta 1990; Sharma, 2000;
Katoch 2000; Gulati, 2004). The survey of mushroom biodiversity provided basis for
identifying, the species of mushrooms that enter into mycorrhizal association with
tree species. Some of them have been utilized for artificial mycorrhizal synthesis
with different species of conifers. The different aspects of mycorrhizal study
included :
i. Identification of the mycorrhizal associates.
ii.
Characterization and identification of mycorrhizae.