Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are emerging pathogens that affect both immune-compromised and immune-competent patients. Recently Mycobacterium mucogenicum (M. mucogenicum) has been identified as significant cause of post surgical wound infection, soft tissue infection, catheter related sepsis, peritonitis, following peritoneal dialysis, bacterimia in patients undergoing haemodialysis, and central venous line associated sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia and lymphadenitis. Aims and objectives: The present study was designed for retrospective analysis to identify incidence of M. mucogenicum from various clinical samples and to do comparative analysis with reference to clinical syndrome, predisposing factors and its demographic information. Materials and Methods: Various clinical samples were received from suspected NTM infection with symptomatic and compatible radiographic findings. Isolation, identification of NTM and M. mucogenicum were done by standard conventional methods and liquid culture in automated MB BacT culture system. Molecular genotyping were done by Line probe assay (LiPA) for identification of NTM and M. mucogenicum. Results: A total of 13 strains of M. mucogenicum were identified out of 30 NTM strains. Of the total M. mucogenicum; 11 [85%] of the strains were isolated from extra pulmonary origin and 2 [15%] strains were from lung infections; of which 1 was of the paediatric patient having tuberculous lymphadenitis and 1 case was from geriatric age group having tuberculous appendicitis only one case was immune-compromised while remaining 12 cases were immune-competent. Isolation of M. mucogenicum from case of endometrium and sub ovarian cyst were rare findings from present study. Conclusion: Attention should be given to M. mucogenicum isolates as a possible etiology of infection. Clinicians should be alert to those unique aspects of NTM disease concerning diagnosis with advanced molecular methods and successful treatment with limited options.

A rowing survey was carried out during Kharif 2016 in different rice growing ecosystems of Karnataka to ascertain the false smut disease of rice. In different surveyed ecosystem, the mean disease severity was ranged from 4.44 to 17.12 percent. The highest disease severity was observed in irrigated Bhadra ecosystem (17.12%), whereas, irrigated Kaveri ecosystem recorded least disease severity (4.44%). Yield loss estimation due to false smut disease on different rice varieties growing in different ecosystem revealed up to 4.25 percent yield loss. Maximum disease severity was observed on the cv. Sriram Gold (124.58 %) with yield loss of 4.25 percent, and least disease severity was observed on cv. Thella Hamsa (2.64 %) with yield loss of 0.09 percent. The information generated could be useful for making the ecosystem specific management strategy to reduce the impact of false smut disease in different rice ecosystem of Karnataka.

Heavy metals are serious environmental pollutants and deleteriously affect the sustainability of microbes, plants and humans. Considering the toxicity of heavy metals, the present study was designed to isolate metal tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and to assess their plant growth promoting activities in the presence and absence of heavy metals. The best performing metal tolerant Bradyrhizobium strain C4 was selected to evaluate its impact on biological and chemical properties of greengram grown under metal stress. Bradyrhizobium sp. (vigna) strain C4 showed maximum tolerance to copper (1600 g/ml), cadmium (200 g/ml) and chromium (400 g/ml) and produced siderophore, ammonia, cyanogenic compounds and synthesized indole-3-acetic acid under metal stress. Bradyrhizobium strain C4 enhanced the overall growth of greengram plants grown in soils stressed with/without varying concentrations of copper, cadmium and chromium. Proline concentration in greengram plants increased with increasing concentration of metals but declined significantly in Bradyrhizobium sp. (vigna) inoculated plants compared to control plants. The intrinsic abilities of growth promotion, enhanced performance of metal tolerant Bradyrhizobium sp. (vigna) inoculated plants and reduction in proline level of the inoculated plants grown under metal stress are indicative that Bradyrhizobium sp. (vigna) could be used for developing rhizobial inoculant for optimizing the production of greengram in soils polluted even with copper, cadmium and chromium.