Abstract. Pyasi A, Soni KK, Verma RK. 2013. Effect of ectomycorrhizae on growth and establishment of sal (Shorea robusta) seedlings in central India. Nusantara Bioscience 5: 44-49. The aim of the present study was to develop ectomycorrhiza in sal sapling outside the sal growing areas. For this purpose sal seedling were raised at Jabalpur which is around 80 km away from natural sal forest (Motinala, Madhya Pradesh, India). Seed sowing was done with inoculation of ectomycorrhizal inocula prepared by isolating the fungi from surface sterilized young basidiocarp of Lycoperdon compactum and Russula michiganensis. The inocula of ectomycorrhizal fungus were prepared in wheat grains treated with gypsum. The synthesis of ectomycorrhiza was observed in the sapling planted in the experimental field at Jabalpur with production of basidiocarp of Lycoperdon compactum near saplings. The mycorrhized saplings also showed higher growth indices.

Abstract. Soni KK, Pyasi A, Verma RK. 2011. Litter decomposing fungi in sal (Shorea robusta) forests of central India. Nusantara Bioscience 3: 136-144. The present study aim on isolation and identification of fungi associated with decomposition of litter of sal forest in central India. Season-wise successional changes in litter mycoflora were determined for four main seasons of the year namely, March-May, June-August, September-November and December-February. Fungi like Aspergillus flavus, A. niger and Rhizopus stolonifer were associated with litter decomposition throughout the year, while Aspergillus fumigatus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, C. oxysporum, Curvularia indica, and C. lunata were recorded in three seasons. Some fungi including ectomycorrhiza forming occur only in the rainy season (June-August) these are Astraeus hygrometricus, Boletus fallax, Calvatia elata, Colletotrichum dematium, Corticium rolfsii, Mycena roseus, Periconia minutissima, Russula emetica, Scleroderma bovista, S. geaster, S. verrucosum, Scopulariopsis alba and four sterile fungi. Fungi like Alternaria citri, Gleocladium virens, Helicosporium phragmitis, and Pithomyces chartarum were rarely recorded only in one season.

The genus is represented by about 130 taxa from India (Das et al., 2014). North-western subtropical and temperate forests of Himalayan region of Uttarakhand state are represented most Russula species. There is a large gap that exists with respect to knowledge diversity of macro-fungi in India. For proper planning and management of forests and the conservation of their biodiversity, characterization, systematics and ecology of these macro-fungi is essential.