Isolation and identification of fungi associated with natural forest land and post-mining areas of PT. Vale Indonesia: Preliminary study

This study aimed to determine the types of fungi that can provide information on microbes associated with the post-mining forest land area of PT. Vale Indonesia. This study used a descriptive method by recording and describing the phenomena obtained. Sampling in the field was done by taking 500 g of soil/point (with three replications). Soil samples were taken around the roots or rhizosphere areas with 10 - 30 cm depth in natural and reclamation forest areas. Isolation of microbial growth was conducted by using the dilution technique. The purification of the obtained isolates was carried out by inoculation in PDA media with the point method, then incubated for ± 5 days at 27°C, and their growth was observed. Characterization of microscopic fungi isolates was identified based on the characteristics of the morphological structures. Based on preliminary research results of fungi soil samples originating from reclamation and natural forest areas, 11 rhizosphere fungi isolates were obtained. The fungi colonies’ color at the top and bottom had various colors and different textures. Greenish and whitish colors dominated the colony color, but some isolates had white, brown, cream, gray, yellowish, whitish, greenish colors, and some had spots. Colony texture was dominated by velvet, but some isolates had the texture of fine cotton and coarse cotton, presumably Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus sp, Fusarium oxysporum, Pénicillium sp., Trichoderma harzianum, and Trichoderma viride. This research will be continued to ascertain the type and function of each isolate.