STUDIES ON AEROBIOLOGY‐ATMOSPHERIC FUNGAL SPORES

Summary A survey of atmospheric fungal spores was carried out at Modinagar, situated in the western part of Uttar Pradesh (India). The site for the study represents a rural and semi‐industrial area. The incidence of the fungal spores in the air was studied by the simultaneous exposure of adhesive coated slides for 24 h and petri dishes containing culture media for 5 min daily all the year round (August 1975 to July 1976). The slides exhibited a preponderance of spores of: Alternaria; Beltrania; Cladosporium; Curvularia; Epicoccum; Fusarium; Helminthosporium; Nigrospora; Prathroda.; rust spores; smut spores; small round spores (spp. of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Mucor, Rhizopus), Thielaviopsis. Species of Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium, Verticillium and Thielaviopsis showed excellent growth on exposed culture media dishes. Several other types of spores were also found in comparatively low numbers. The seasonal and monthly variation of these air‐borne fungi were studied qualitatively and quantitatively.