Conserving mycorrhizal diversity
Given the spectrum of benefits that can be derived from mycorrhiza, a Center for Mycorrhizal Culture Collection (CMCC) was established at TERI to both conserve and derive benefits from mycorrhizal diversity in 1993.The depository houses and maintains cultures from 12 different agro-ecological zones out of a total of 20 identified for the country, with 450 isolates of mycorrhizal fungi that foster growth in India''s mycorrizha research sector, by providing starter cultures to laboratories.
Apart from these cultures, the CMCC has a culture collection of fungal isolates from wheat agricultural fields (400 in number) and from environmentally vulnerable and degraded land including industrial wastelands, forming an invaluable reservoir of genetic diversity of agriculturally and industrially important fungi.
TERI has also actively characterized CMCC germplasm at the morphological, biochemical, molecular and functional level for further exploitation of the mycorrhiza.
Apart from these cultures, the CMCC has a culture collection of fungal isolates from wheat agricultural fields (400 in number) and from environmentally vulnerable and degraded land including industrial wastelands, forming an invaluable reservoir of genetic diversity of agriculturally and industrially important fungi.
TERI has also actively characterized CMCC germplasm at the morphological, biochemical, molecular and functional level for further exploitation of the mycorrhiza.