Objective: To isolate the mycorrhizal fungi from the roots of wild Dendribium candidum and D. nobile collected from Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and determine their biological activities.
Method: The isolation was completed using solidified potato dextrose agar (PDA, Difco) of plates and the biological activities were tested by means of symbiotic germination of fungus-seedlings.
Results: 25 Species of mycorrhizal fungi were obtained and most of them belong to Basidiomycotina and Deuteromycotina. The preliminary biological activity test has shown that of these fungi 5 species help promote the seed germination of D. candidun, 7 species can establish the symbiotical relationship with seedlings of D. candium and D. nobile, and 3 species can stimulate the growth of seedlings of the two medicinal plants.
Conclusion: Isolation and screening of fungi helpful to the growth and development of Dendrobium is important in the production of the herb.