Question

Match List-I with List-II

List-I (Fungi) & List-II (Importance)
(A) Pleurotus ostreatus & (I) Phytopathogenic
(B) Magnaporthe oryzae & (II) Entomopathogenic
(C) Rhizophagus irregularis & (III) Edible
(D) Metarhizium & (IV) Mycorrhizal

• (A) - (I), (B) - (II), (C) - (IV), (D) - (III)
• (A) - (III), (B) - (II), (C) - (I), (D) - (IV)
• (A) - (I), (B) - (III), (C) - (IV), (D) - (II)
• (A) - (III), (B) - (I), (C) - (IV), (D) - (II)

Hint:

To solve fungal matching questions easily, identify the most common edible mushroom first. Matching Pleurotus to edible (A - III) immediately narrows down the options.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Fungi are diverse eukaryotic organisms that play critical roles in ecosystems, agriculture, and human nutrition.
They can be beneficial mutualists, prized food sources, destructive plant pathogens, or natural biological control agents.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze and match each fungal genus from List-I with its agricultural or economic importance in List-II:
- (A) Pleurotus ostreatus: Commonly known as the oyster mushroom. It is a widely cultivated, delicious edible basidiomycete fungus valued for its culinary and nutritional properties. Thus, (A) matches with (III).
- (B) Magnaporthe oryzae: This is a devastating ascomycete fungus that causes rice blast disease, which is a major threat to global food security. It is a classic phytopathogenic agent. Thus, (B) matches with (I).
- (C) Rhizophagus irregularis (formerly known as Glomus intraradices): This is a soil-dwelling arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus that establishes a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with plant roots. This relationship improves water and phosphorus uptake. Thus, (C) matches with (IV).
- (D) Metarhizium: This is a genus of soil-borne green muscardine fungi.
It infects and kills various insect pests, making it a valuable entomopathogenic biopesticide in integrated pest management. Thus, (D) matches with (II).
Combining these matches, we get: (A) - (III), (B) - (I), (C) - (IV), (D) - (II).

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct matching sequence is (A) - (III), (B) - (I), (C) - (IV), (D) - (II), which corresponds to option (D).