Phyllosphere and rhizosphere microflora of pearl millet with reference to downy mildew incited bySclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet

Summary Analysis of phyllosphere microflora showed that in the resistant cultivar (PHB-14) there was a significantly higher population of fungi, gram positive and gram negative bacteria, compared to susceptible cultivar (NHB-3) under healthy and diseased situations. The cultivars during earhead stage supported maximum phyllosphere fungal and gram negative bacterial populations.The rhizosphere of the susceptible cultivar under downy mildew influence supported maximum fungal and gram negative bacterial populations and the rhizosphere effect was the highest in downy mildew colonized susceptible NHB-3 at the earhead stage (95 days after planting).Among the fungi isolated Cladosporium dominated the phyllosphere of resistant, susceptible and susceptible cultivar under the influence of downy mildew.Among the rhizosphere microflora the population ofAspergillus sp. was found to be greatest in resistant, susceptible and the susceptible cultivar under the influence of downy mildew.