Endophytic Aspergillus Fumigatus sp. LH02, isolated from the roots of soybean and indentified through phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequence, was found stimulatory to the growth of Waito-C rice seedlings among 13 other endophytic strains screened. In growth hormone analysis, pure culture of fungal isolate produced three gibberellins viz GA4, GA9 and GA12. To know the role and effect on soybean in endophytic association (EA) and non-endophytic association (NEA) under salt stress (70 and 140mM), experiment was carried out at growth chamber using complete randomized block design. The results elaborated that the EA has significantly increased the shoot length, shoot and root fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate and leaf area of the plants with and without salt stress compared to control. Field emission scanning electron microscope analysis of root's surface showed that EA plants were extensively colnized by Aspergillus fumigatus LH02 under high salanity. In phytohormonal anlysis, ABA contents in EA and NEA were almost similar. Howere, when plants were exposed th salt stress, ABA levels were found significantly low in EA compared to NEA plant. In isoflavone content analysis, aglycones, malonyl, acetyl and glucosides isoflavones (total 11 compounds) were analyzed for each treatment through extensive HPLC andalysis. The quantities of isoflavone were found higher in EA plant's leaves with and without salt stress compared to NEA plant leaves. In conclusion, such endophytic association can be beneficial to explore ways to improve crop production under stressful conditions.

We carried out the effect of Si levels (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mM) on ethylene and salicylic acid (SA) of hydroponically grown rice plants, after 6h, 12h and 24h of Si application. All samples were analyzed after applying wound stress for 30 minutes. In 6 h treatments, 0.5 and 1.0 mM of Si decreased ethylene production by 7% and 9.9% respectively, while elevated level of Si (2 mM) insignificantly affected ethylene production under same conditions. However 0.5 and 1 mM of Si enhanced endogenous SA contents by 2.6% and 17.3% respectively, while 2 mM of Si decreased SA contents by 3% as compared to control. Samples analyzed after 12h of 0.5, 1 mM and 2 mM Si application showed reduction of 11%, 4% and 1.7% respectively, while SA contents increased by 4% and 9.5% in 0.5 and 1 mM Si treatments. Samples analyzed after 24 h of Si treatment showed that 0.5 and 1.0 mM of Si inhibited ethylene production by 12.6% and 18.2% respectively, while 2 mM Si increased ethylene production by 11.9% as compared to control. It was observed that the SA content of rice was almost similar to control in 0.5 mM Si applied treatments, while 1 mM and 2 mM of Si increased SA contents by 6.5% and 6.9% as compared to control. It was concluded that Si alleviates the effect of wounding stress in rice by regulating ethylene and SA production.