COMPARATIVE DIVERSITY AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF FUNGI ON HIBISCUS SPP.

This study evaluates the incidence, taxonomic diversity, and spatial distribution patterns of fungi colonising floral waste of Hibiscus spp. collected across ten distinct geographical localities (L1 to L10) in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India. A total of 32 fungal species belonging to 8 prominent genera were isolated and identified using Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium. The mycobiota was dominated by the genera Aspergillus (10 species), Penicillium (7 species), Alternaria (3 species), Cladosporium (3 species), Curvularia (2 species), Fusarium (2 species), Rhizopus (2 species), Trichoderma (2 species), alongside the monotypic representatives Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Nigrospora oryzae. Ten fungal species demonstrated high ubiquitous occurrence (90% incidence, recorded across 9 of the 10 surveyed sites): Alternaria raphani, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium fujikuroi, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Nigrospora oryzae, Penicillium echinulatum, and Penicillium lilacinum. Furthermore, the beneficial biocontrol antagonists Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride were recovered at spatial incidence of 70% and 60%, respectively. The pronounced fungal colonization reflects the high moisture and nutrient retention in discarded floral waste across varying microclimatic regimes. These findings establish essential empirical baselines for post-harvest phytosanitary management, environmental biosecurity, and the valorization of discarded Hibiscus floral biomass via solid-state fermentation and composting.