Pieces of lemon were placed on soil at different places and after a few days fungal growth appeared in each piece of lemon. The spores from each piece were transferred separately into PDA plates and incubated at 30℃. After 2 days growth appeared in each plate.Spore suspensions were prepared from each plate
separately, diluted suitably, streaked on other PDA plates and incubated at 30℃ for 2 days. Spores from single isolated colonies were taken from each plate,transferred aseptically to PDA slants and incubated at 30℃ for 2 days. In all 400 isolates were obtained and stored at 4℃.
Filter paper disks in Petri dishes were sterilised and soaked with sterilised sucrose based medium containing universal indicator solution of the pH range 1-10.5.
Petri dishes were inoculated with spores of different isolates and incubated at 30℃for 3 days. Acid producing strains were detected by the formation of coloured (pink) zone around the colony. Zone diameter was taken as a criterion of good acid producing ability of isolates. Of these acid producers, citric acid producing
strains were identified by cultivating on bagasse moistened with sucrose based medium in 250 ml flasks for 8 days. Fermented material was extracted using distilled water and citric acid was estimated in extracts. Of these isolates, A. niger DS 1 was found to be the best citric acid producer and therefore selected for further work.