Contribution to the fungal flora of cereal grains in Egypt

30 genera and 77 species, in addition to 4 varieties were isolated from 25 samples of each of barley, wheat, maize and sorghum grains collected from different places in Egypt. The broadest spectrum of genera and species was recorded in wheat (25 genera and 59 species + 4 varieties) followed by barley (21 genera and 52 species + 2 varieties), sorghum (14 genera and 33 species + 2 varieties) and maize grains (11 genera and 29 species + 2 varieties). Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium and Rhizopus were the most common genera in the four grains, except maize where Penicillium emerged in low frequency. Aspergillus was the main component of the fungal flora of the four grains and contributed 79–94.4% of the gross total count of fungi. From the preceding genera A. niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, F. oxysporum, P. chrysogenum, P. corylophilum, P. notatum and R. stolonifer were the most frequent.     

Fungicides and some biological controller agents effects on the growth of fusarium oxysporum causing paprika wilt: Wirkung von fungiziden und einigen biologischen kontrollwirkstoffen auf das wachstum des paprikawelke verursachenden fusarium oxysporum

Soil samples from both healthy and diseased paprika roots were tested to identify their mycoflora. Thirty-one species belonging to 16 genera were collected from rhizosphere and rhizoplane samples. The most frequently isolated fungi were Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, A. terreus, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium jensenii and Trichoderma harzianum. Fusarium oxysporum was the most common Fusarium species in the rhizoplane samples of diseased roots and identification was confirmed by RAPD-PCR technique. Trichoderma harzianum, T. pseudokoningii and Glioclaium roseum were chosen to study their biological control efficiency against Fusarium oxysporum. These fungal species reduced the percentage of seedling infection to 25, 40 and 50%, respectively. With the increasing of fungicide (Folicur and Ridomil) doses the dry weight of F. oxysporum decreased. Also, the increasing of fungicide dose lead to a slight decrease in the dry weight of T. harzianum, T. pseudokoningii and Glioclaium roseum.     

Rhizosphere and phyllosphere fungi of four fern plants growing in Saudi Arabia

Seventy-eight species in addition to 1 variety of A. flavus belonging to 31 genera were collected from the rhizosphere (55 species + 1 variety and 24 genera) and phyllosphere (59 species and 22 genera) of Adiantum capillus-veneris, Ceterach officinarum, Asplenium filare and Cheilanthes catanensis.In the rhizosphere, the most common genera were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Mucor and yeasts. In the phyllosphere, the most prevalent fungi were Cladosporium herbarum, C. sphaerospermum, Alternaria alternata, Drechslera spicifera, Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Cephalosporium roseo-griseum, Myrothecium verrucaria, Mucor racemosus and yeasts.     

Survey of the mycoflora of barley grains in Egypt

The fungi of 40 samples of barley grains collected from Upper Egypt were estimated using the dilution- and the grain-plate methods. 33 genera and 109 species, in addition to 2 varieties of Aspergillus nidulans, one variety of Aspergillus flavus and one variety of Penicillium cyclopium were identified. The spectrum of fungal genera and species collected by the grain-plate method (29 genera and 94 species+3 varieties) was broader than by the dilutionplate method (27 genera and 71 species+3 varieties), but the order of frequency of occurrence of fungal genera and species was basically similar in the two methods. The most frequent genera were Aspergillus (25 species+3 varieties), Penicillium (32 species+1 variety), Rhizopus (2 species), Alternaria (2 species), Fusarium (6 species) and Drechslera (5 species) and were represented (as assayed by the grainplate method) in 100 %, 77.5 %, 85 % 62,5 %, 60 % and 52.5 % of the samples constituting 60.4 %, 10.2 %, 7.7 %, 3.7 %, 5 % and 2.3 % of the gross total count of fungi respectively. From the preceding genera A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. sydowii, P. notatum, P. citrinum, F. oxysporum, F. moniliforme, F. solani, R. stolonifer, A. alternata and D. spicifera were the most frequent.     

Mycotoxin-producing potential of fungi associated with qat (Catha edulis) leaves in yemen

Forty-four fungal species belonging to 20 genera were isolated from 30 samples of qat leaves. The most frequent genera wereAspergillus, Alternaria, Penicillium, andCladosporium followed byFusarium, Drechslera, Chœtomium, andMucor. The most prevalent species in above genera wereAspergillus niger, A. flavus, A fumigatus, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. citrinum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, andFusarium verticillioides. From these fungi, 17 species (39%) related to 7 genera (35%) proved to be true endophytes. Eleven out of 75 isolates were mycotoxigenic.A. alternata produced alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether whereasA. flavus produced aflatoxins B₁ and B₂. Ochratoxin A, sterigmatocystin, citrinin and T-2 toxin were produced byA. ochraceus, A. versicolor, P. citrinum andF. oxysporum, respectively. The presence of such toxigenic fungi associated with qat leaves is considered to be a threat to public health.     

Cellulose-decomposing fungi of barley grains in Egypt

100 species and 2 varieties of A. nidulans which belong to 35 genera were identified from 40 samples of barley collected from different places in Upper Egypt. Two methods of isolation were used: the grain-and the dilution plate. The spectrum of fungal genera and species collected by the former (35 genera, 96 species+1 variety) was broader than by the latter method (28 genera, 76 species+1 variety). Nine genera were of high occurrence (represented in more than 50% of the samples) namely, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Humicola, Drechslera and Myrothecium. The most frequent species were A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. flavus, A. sydowii, F. oxysporum, F. moniliforme, A. alternata, M. verrucaria, P. funiculosum, P. corylophilum, P. duclauxi, C. herbarum, C. globosum, D. spicifera and H. grisea. Several fungi such as Chaetomium, Humicola, Altemaria, Drechslera, Stachybotrys, Myrothecium, Pénicillium corylophilum and P. funiculosum were far more frequently recovered on cellulose than on glucose agar.     

Fusarium species on groundnut kernels and in groundnut soil

Summary A total of 17 species and varieties of Fusarium have been isolated from groundnut kernels, rhizosphere and geocarposhere and from the soil of groundnut fields in Israel.F.solani predominated in the Fusarium flora of soil, rhizosphere and fresh kernels, and in particular on stored kernels. In the geocarposhere,F. solani, F. oxysporum andF. equiseti occurred in fairly equal amounts. Fusaria made up 16.2 to 32.6 per cent of the total mycoflora of kernels, soil, rhizosphere and geocarposphere.In tests with 14 isolates from groundnuts, production of toxins inducing visible reactions on rabbit skin was strongest when cultures were kept at 24 to 30°C. Only one isolate failed to produce a toxic reaction.The mortality of seedlings induced in inoculation tests with 23 groundnut isolates ofF. oxysporum, F. solani andF. equiseti was severe (mostly averaging 20 to 40%) in tomato and eggplant, moderate (mostly 10 to 20%) in bean, cucumber, watermelon and onion, weaker in cotton and pepper, and least in maize and wheat.     

刺槐林魔芋健康高产的土壤微生态机制

通过对刺槐林和农田魔芋健株根区、根表及根外土壤微生物区系及养分含量比较,探索刺槐林魔芋健康高产的土壤微生态机制。结果表明:(1)刺槐林魔芋根外和根表土壤细菌数量分别较农田增加11.8%和588.9%,根区土壤真菌数量较农田显著减少74.4%。(2)刺槐林魔芋根区、根表及根外土壤中的有益优势微生物数量及其比例远高于农田魔芋,有害微生物数量远低于农田魔芋;在刺槐林魔芋根区、根表及根外土壤中,3种优势细菌为放射型根瘤菌(Rhizobium radiobacter)、苏云金芽孢杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis)及摩氏假单胞菌(Pseudomonas mosselii),其中,根表土壤中放射型根瘤菌及苏云金芽孢杆菌数量分别为农田的25.7倍及13.0倍;2种优势真菌为黒附球菌(Epicoccum nigrum)和疣孢青霉(Penicillium verruculosum),1种优势放线菌为绿淀粉酶链霉菌(Streptomyces viridodiastaticus),其中刺槐林魔芋根表和根外土壤中黒附球菌数量分别较农田高159.2%和120.3%;大量存在于刺槐林下魔芋根外土壤中的疣孢青霉、以及根区、根表、根外土壤中的绿淀粉酶链霉菌在农田魔芋相应部位均未检出。(3)刺槐林下魔芋根外、根区土壤有机质含量分别较农田显著增加167.6%、39.6%,但速效P、K含量较农田分别显著降低85.6%~91.3%、12.4%~13.0%。研究认为,刺槐林魔芋健康高产与其根区、根表及根外土壤中特有的有益优势微生物数量多、有害微生物数量少以及土壤有机质含量高密切相关。     

Biological control of anthracnose of chilli with rhizosphere and rhizoplane fungal isolates from grasses

The fungal species from rhizosphere and rhizoplane of perennial grasses of the Western Ghats of India were studied for their pathogenicity, antagonism in vitro, substrate and root colonization abilities, rhizosphere competence, growth in different soil pH and inoculum shelf-life. Out of 138 non-pathogenic fungal isolates tested, 85 were antagonistic in vitro to chilli anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum capsici. Fifteen isolates with >60% inhibition zone to pathogen culture had saprophytic and root and rhizosphere colonization abilities. The sorghum grain inocula of test antagonistic fungi- Fusarium oxysporum, Chaetomium globosum and Trichoderma harzianum had the shelf-life of 90 days at 20?±?2?°C and required optimum soil pH of 6.5. The above fungal isolates when tested for biocontrol of anthracnose disease in greenhouse and field caused reduction in seedling mortality and decreased disease incidence and severity at various plant growth stages and significant reduction in chilli fruit and seed infection. The test antagonistic fungi promoted seedling and mature plant growth and increased fruit and seed yield. Populations of these antagonistic fungi were fairly high in chilli rhizosphere at harvest. The present study indicated that antagonistic fungi from grass rhizosphere and rhizoplane could be used to control anthracnose and promote plant growth, and increase yield of chilli in field.     

Root-surface mycoflora of cassava (Manihot esculenta) and post harvest rot of the tubers

The root-surface mycoflora of cassava were isolated from roots washed in serial changes of sterile distilled water and plated out on potato-dextrose agar. A small group of fungi which included Aspergillus niger, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium solani, Penicillium javanicum, Penicillium sp., and Trichoderma sp. were found to be consistently associated with the root surface. While the isolates, B. theobromae and F. solani were found to be aggressively pathogenic on freshly harvested cassava tubers causing extensive rot, A. niger was only mildly so. The root-surface mycoflora, therefore, includes fungi which have been reported as the most important in postharvest deterioration of the tubers. The removal of the rhizoplane microflora by surface-sterilization using calcium hypochlorite or Clorox and subsequent incubation in loosely tied polyethylene bags extended the storage life of the tubers considerably.     

Studies on the genus Fusarium in Egypt

Five Fusarium species were recovered from the rhizoplane of healthy and damped-off cotton, pea, tomato, maize and wheat seedlings raised in the field during a 12-month experiment: F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. moniliforme, F. acuminatum and F. equiseti. F. solani and F. oxysporum were the most common species in the rhizoplane of healthy and damped-off seedlings of cotton, pea, wheat and tomato. In the case of maize, they were surpassed by F. moniliforme which was very scarce in the roots of the other test plants. There was some regular periodicity in the occurrence of Fusarium species in the rhizoplane of test plants. F. oxysporum showed its highest records usually in winter months, F. solani usually in moderate and high temperature months, and F. moniliforme, in maize rhizoplane, in winter months.     

Characterisation,differentiation and biochemical diversity of Fusarium solani and Fusarium proliferatum based on cellular fatty acid profiles

The biochemical relationships between Fusarium solani and Fusarium proliferatum isolates were investigated using fatty acid analysis. Cellular fatty acid composition showed that palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid were the most abundant fatty acids in these species and accounted for 93.88 and 94.02% of the fatty acid profiles in F. solani and F. proliferatum, respectively. The most predominant fatty acids were linoleic acid (37.44%) in F. solani and oleic acid (39.81%) in F. proliferatum. The fatty acid compositions of F. solani and F. proliferatum were significantly different (p?<?0.05) for most of the individual fatty acids. This study demonstrated that fatty acid profiles may be useful to characterise and differentiate F. solani and F. proliferatum isolates at the species level. Using fatty acid analysis, biochemical diversity was observed among isolates of these species. The dendrogramme revealed that F. solani and F. proliferatum formed two distinct clusters with a distance of 7.2. Isolates of each species were clustered with each other, having a Euclidean distance of 6 and 6.6 for F. solani and F. proliferatum, respectively.     

The synthetic strigolactone GR24 influences the growth pattern of phytopathogenic fungi

Strigolactones that are released by plant roots to the rhizosphere are involved in both plant symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and in plant infection by root parasitic plants. In this paper, we describe the response of various phytopathogenic fungi to the synthetic strigolactone GR24. When GR24 was embedded in the growth medium, it inhibited the growth of the root pathogens Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis, Fusarium solani f. sp. mango, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Macrophomina phaseolina, and of the foliar pathogens Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum acutatum and Botrytis cinerea. In the presence of this synthetic strigolactone, intense branching activity was exhibited by S. sclerotiorum, C. acutatum and F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis. Slightly increased hyphal branching was observed for A. alternata, F. solani f. sp. mango and B. cinerea, whereas suppression of hyphal branching by GR24 was observed in M. phaseolina. These results suggest that strigolactones not only affect mycorrhizal fungi and parasitic plants, but they also have a more general effect on phytopathogenic fungi.     

Influence of Fusarium solani on citrus root rot caused by Phytophthora parasitica and Phytophthora citrophthora

Interactions between Fusarium solani and Phytophthora parasitica or F. solani and P. citrophthora influenced the development of root rot of citrus but depended on the temporal order of inoculation with F. solani or the two Phytophthora spp. Inoculation of citrus with either Fusarium solani and Phytophthora parasitica or Phytophthora citrophthora increased root rot compared to inoculation with P. parasitica or P. citrophthora alone when plants were inoculated with Phytophthora by dipping their roots in zoospore suspensions and subsequently transplanted into soil infested with F. solani. However, root rot was not increased by simultaneous co-inoculation of P. parasitica and F. solani or when plants were inoculated with F. solani first. Root rot was not increased when heat-stressed or non-stressed plants were inoculated with P. parasitica 30 days after transplanting into soil infested with F. solani. In most but not all experiments, F. solani alone reduced growth of tops or roots a small but significant amount.Co-inoculation of citrus by root-dipping into zoospore suspensions of P. parasitica and transplanting into soil infested with F. solani reduced feeder root length by 62% and root weight by 61% but did not significantly reduce the percentage of living roots when compared to inoculation with P. parasitica alone. When citrus roots were immersed in zoospore suspensions of P. citrophthora and transplanted into soil infested with F. solani, feeder root length was reduced by 68%, but feeder root weight and the percentage of living roots were not significantly reduced when compared to plants inoculated with P. citrophthora alone.Propagule densities of both P. parasitica and P. citrophthora in the rhizosphere of plants inoculated by root-immersion and then transplanting into soil infested with F. solani were not significantly different than propagule densities from plants transplanted into non-infested soil. Propagule densities of P. parasitica were suppressed an average of 41% when citrus was inoculated with P. parasitica 30 days after transplanting into soil infested with F. solani and by 41% when citrus was co-inoculated by transplanting into soil infested with both F. solani and P. parasitica.     

广东省本地油茶和引种油茶根际土壤微生物群落特征

【背景】近年来,油茶低效林面积较大,根际土壤微生物影响林木抗性和生长,对林业可持续发展具有重要意义。【目的】了解广东省本地油茶和引种油茶根际土壤微生物群落特征。【方法】利用高通量测序分析油茶根际土壤微生物群落组成。【结果】油茶根际土壤细菌有26门77纲201目377科593属676种,真菌有14门50纲121目266科502属631种。油茶根际土壤中的优势细菌为酸杆菌门和变形菌门,优势真菌为子囊菌门和担子菌门。两种油茶根际土壤微生物组成差异显著,本地油茶根际土壤的细菌多样性显著高于引种油茶。在门水平上,脱硫杆菌门细菌和罗兹菌门、被孢霉门真菌的相对丰度在两种油茶间差异显著,Amorphotheca在本地油茶根际土壤中特异性富集。两种油茶根际土壤细菌碳代谢相对丰度差异显著,真菌以腐生营养型为主,其次为病理营养型和共生营养型。本地油茶根际土壤中显著富集土壤腐生菌,而共生营养型真菌(尤其是丛枝菌根真菌)相对丰度(6.43%)显著低于引种油茶中(21.83%)。此外,有机质和养分含量是影响油茶根际土壤微生物群落的关键因子。【结论】本地油茶和引种油茶根际土壤微生物群落组成和结构差异显著,Amorp...     

Mycoflora of bean,broad bean,lentil, lupine and pea seeds in Saudi Arabia

Using the seed-plate method on glucose-Czapek's agar at 28 °C (±2 °C), 24 genera and 60 species in addition to two varieties were collected from bean, broad bean, lentil, lupine and pea seeds. The most frequent genera were Aspergillus (16 species + two varieties), Penicillium (14 species), Rhizopus (1 species) and Yeasts, followed by Fusarium (3 species), Mucor (4 species) and Drechslera (3 species). From the preceding genera, Aspergillus niger, A.flavus, Penicillium citrinum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Fusarium moniliforme or F. oxysporum, Mucor hiemalis or M. racemosus and Drechslera spicifera were the most prevalent species.     

Enzymes Associated with Defence against Toxic Oxygen Species in PCNB-Tolerant and Sensitive Soil Fungi

The specific activities of enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPOX) and glutathione reductase (GR), which are involved in protection against toxic species of oxygen, were determined in mycelia extracts of pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB)-tolerant and susceptible soil fungi. The organisms assayed were the highly PCNB-sensitive Rhizoctonia solani and Rhizopus arrhizus; Sclerotium rolfsii and Trichoderma harzianum, which are moderately susceptible to PCNB, and the fungicide-tolerant Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis and Pythium aphanidermatum. No GPOX activity was detected in the six examined fungi. Significant differences in the specific activities of the other enzyme systems among the fungi were evident. Remarkably low levels of CAT activities were measured in R. solani. Except for T. harzianum, no meaningful differences regarding SOD, CAT and GR activities with age of the fungi cultures were observed. The electrophoretic patterns of SOD and CAT displayed dissimilarities among the fungi under study. P. aphanidermatum is more polymorphic with respect to both SOD and CAT enzyme systems as compared to the other fungi. The SOD of F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis, R. arrhizus and T. harzianum is a cuprozinc enzyme, while the mangano-SOD species was detected in S. rolfsii, R. solani and T. harzianum.     

Mycoflora and mycotoxin-producing fungi of air-dust particles from Egypt

Using the dilution-plate method, 27 genera and 64 species were collected from 20 air-dust samples on glucose — (24 genera and 57 species) and cellulose — (21 genera and 45 species) Czapek's agar at 28 °C. There are basic similarities between the mycoflora of air-dust on the two media and the most prevalent species were Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. ochraceus, A. terreus, A. versicolor, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. funiculosum, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium herbarum, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizopus stolonifer and Trichoderma viride. Chaetomium globosum, Stachybotrys chartarum, Humicola grisea and Arthrobotrys oligospora were common only on cellulose agar plates.Extracts of mycelium from 25 isolates were tested with brine schrimp (Artemia salina); of these 23 displayed varying degrees of toxicity. Thin layer Chromatographic analysis of 12 isolates of Aspergillus flavus revealed that 4 strains were producing detectable aflatoxin. Zearalenone production was noted for 3 out of 5 strains of Fusarium oxysporum and 2 out of 5 strains of F. solani.     

Studies on the mycoflora associated with sugarcane factory waste and pollution of River Nile in upper Egypt

Sixty-nine species and four varieties that belong to 28 genera of terrestial fungi were recovered from polluted and non-polluted water and mud samples on glucose and cellulose-Czapek's agar at 28°C. The most common species from the two substrates on the two types of media were Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A.niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Mycosphaerella tassiana and Penicillium chrysogenum. Twenty-six species belonging to 14 genera were isolated from polluted (26 species and 14 genera) and non-polluted (17species and 10 genera) mud samples on Sabouraud's dextrose agar at 28°C. The most prevalent species were Acremonium retiulum, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Aphanoascus fulvescens, A. terreus, Aphanoascus sp., Penicillium funiculosum and Stachybotrys chartarum.     

Preferential Promotion of Lycopersicon esculentum (Tomato) Growth by Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria Associated with Tomato

A total of 74 morphologically distinct bacterial colonies were selected during isolation of bacteria from different parts of tomato plant (rhizoplane, phylloplane and rhizosphere) as well as nearby bulk soil. The isolates were screened for plant growth promoting (PGP) traits such as production of indole acetic acid, siderophore, chitinase and hydrogen cyanide as well as phosphate solubilization. Seven isolates viz., NR4, NR6, RP3, PP1, RS4, RP6 and NR1 that exhibited multiple PGP traits were identified, based on morphological, biochemical and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, as species that belonged to four genera Aeromonas, Pseudomonas,Bacillus and Enterobacter. All the seven isolates were positive for 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase. Isolate NR6 was antagonistic to Fusarium solani and Fusarium moniliforme, and both PP1 and RP6 isolates were antagonistic to F. moniliforme. Except RP6, all isolates adhered significantly to glass surface suggestive of biofilm formation. Seed bacterization of tomato, groundnut, sorghum and chickpea with the seven bacterial isolates resulted in varied growth response in laboratory assay on half strength Murashige and Skoog medium. Most of the tomato isolates positively influenced tomato growth. The growth response was either neutral or negative with groundnut, sorghum and chickpea. Overall, the results suggested that bacteria with PGP traits do not positively influence the growth of all plants, and certain PGP bacteria may exhibit host-specificity. Among the isolates that positively influenced growth of tomato (NR1, RP3, PP1, RS4 and RP6) only RS4 was isolated from tomato rhizosphere. Therefore, the best PGP bacteria can also be isolated from zones other than rhizosphere or rhizoplane of a plant.

Electronic supplementary material

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