Aeromycological Investigations in the Ambient Air Over Some Crop Fields in Context to Pathogenic and Allergenic Fungal Bioaerosols

Aeromycological investigations were conducted with the help of continuous volumetric Tilak air sampler over jowar, wheat and groundnut fields which gave continuous air sampling for fungal bioaerosols for three consecutive Rabi seasons. Altogether 46 bioaerosols were trapped in the sampler over jowar fields of which 20 types (74.4%) were pathogenic and 25 types (81.5%) were allergenic in nature. Similarly 50 bioaerosols were recorded over wheat fields of which 21 types (71.7%) were pathogenic and 25 types (85.8%) were allergenic. In the atmosphere over groundnut fields 47 bioaerosols were recorded of which 21 types (71.6%) were pathogenic and 26 types (81.9%) were allergenic in nature. From these three different crop fields total 30 types of bioaerosols were recorded of which 27 belonged to fungal spore types while remaining three types belonged to other types. Though more bioaerosols were encountered, but this paper reports only pathogenic and allergenic bioaerosols.