The role of soil-borne fungi in driving the coexistence of Pinus massoniana and Lithocarpus glaber in a subtropical forest via plant-soil feedback

Aims Plant–soil feedback(PSF)is a key mechanism that can facilitate tree species coexistence and diversity.Substantial evidence suggests that species-specific soil-borne pathogens around adult trees limit the performance of home(conspecific)seedlings relative to foreign(heterospecific)seedlings.However,the underlying mechanism remains largely elusive.Methods Here,we conducted a reciprocal transplant pot experiment using seedlings and from two tree species,Pinus massoniana and Lithocarpus glaber that are dominant and coexist in a subtropical,evergreen,broad-leaf forest in Gutianshan,Zhejiang Province of eastern China.We examined how seedlings from the two tree species responded to soils originating from underneath their own versus the other tree species,using a full-factorial design.Additionally,we added a fungicide(benomyl)to half of the pots to evaluate the role of soil-borne fungi on seedling growth.Important Findings We found that the seedlings from L.glaber grew better in soils that were collected from beneath the canopy of P.massoniana,while seedling growth of P.massioniana was not affected by soil origin.The addition of fungicide benomyl resulted in a shift towards more positive PSF effects for L.glaber,indicating that L.glaber seedlings performed better in their own soils than in soils from P.massoniana in the absence of fungi.Our findings highlight the importance of soil-borne pathogenic and ectomycorrhizal fungi in driving PSF,and indicate that PSF may promote the coexistence of two subtropical tree species by reducing the performance of L.glaber in own soils.

Morphological Characterization of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associated with the Rhizosphere According to the Age of Xanthosoma sagittifolium L. Schott Plants in the Field

The objective of this work was to carry out a morphological characterization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of Xanthosoma sagittifolium L. Schott plants. The plant material used was the white and red cultivars of X. sagittifolium, belonging to age intervals of 3 - 6, 6 - 9, and 9 - 12 months. Three harvest sites were chosen in the Central Region of Cameroon. In each site, soil from the rhizosphere and plant roots was collected in a randomized manner. In the field, the agronomic parameters were evaluated. The physicochemical characteristics of the soils, the mycorrhization index, and the morphological characterization of the mycorrhizal types of each site were carried out. The results obtained show that the agronomic growth parameters varied significantly using the Student Newman and Keuls Test depending on the harvest sites. The soils’ pH in all sites was acidic and ranged between 4.6 and 5.8. The Nkometou site has a loamy texture while the Olembe and Soa sites have loam-clay-sandy and loam-clay textures respectively. The highest mycorrhization frequencies appeared at the Nkometou site, with 75 and 87.33% of the white and red cultivars plant roots at 6 - 9 and 3 - 6 months. The relative abundance of AMF arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores in the rhizosphere of X. sagittifolium plants varied with age and cultivar. There were 673 spores between 9 - 12 months in Nkometou in the red cultivar. Six AMF genera were identified in all the different soils collected: Acaulospora sp., Funneliformis sp., Gigaspora sp., Glomus sp., Scutellospora sp., and Septoglomus sp. The genus Glomus sp. was the most present at all age intervals in both cultivars.

Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Different Altitudes Affect Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Abundance and Colonization in Cacao Plantations of Cameroon

This study aims to investigate the abundance of AMF according to soil properties and altitudes in different cacao plantations of Cameroon. Physico-chemical analyses were made on soil samples collected from three agro-ecological zones. Soil samples were also used to evaluate directly the AMF abundance following the various altitudes and after trapping by sorghum plant. The results showed that soil properties, AMF spore abundances and colonization fluctuated significantly at different altitudes. The most represented texture was sandy loam. The bimodal zone presented a homogeneous texture (sandy loam) in all its localities. Cacao soil chemical characteristics showed that, the highest nitrogen rate (0.47%;p 0.05, Scott-Knott test) was recorded at Melong in a monomodal zone while Tonga in the Western highlands displayed the lowest rate (0.13%). Soil P concentration was significantly high in monomodal zones (Mbanga and Melong). Soil pH level indicated that the soil from Tonga in the Western highlands was neutral (pH = 6.67), and soils of other localities under study were acidic with the lowest (4.75) pH level recorded at Melong in a monomodal zone. In soil samples, the highest spore density (1.03 spores/g soil) was observed at Ntui in Bimodal zone, while the lowest spore density (0.26 spores/g soil) was observed at Bafang in the Western highlands. Root colonization showed that the sample from Bokito in a bimodal zone displayed the best frequency of mycorrhization (86.11%) while the sample from Bafang in the Western highlands recorded the lowest (27.11%). The PCA analysis highlighted that available phosphorus, pH and altitude all strongly correlated with AMF root colonization ability and can be used as a predictor of AMF colonization ability in cacao rhizosphere.

Reclassification and Nomenclature of Common Pathogenic Fungi

The accurate identification of pathogenic fungi is crucial for diagnosing and treating fungal infections. Recent advancements in molecular biotechnology, phylogenetic analysis, and the requirements of the Melbourne Code have led to changes in the classification and naming of fungi. These changes have caused significant confusion for medical laboratories and clinical personnel. This article summarizes the classification and new names of common pathogenic fungi to enhance fungi identification skills and provide accurate information for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Secondary Metabolites of Entomopathogenic Fungi, Biological Alternative for the Control of Agricultural Pests and Disease: Present and Perspectives

The use of entomopathogenic fungi (EF) in recent years has been highly effective against the different orders of insects considered pests of agricultural importance and their conidia have been commonly applied, but it has been reported that these are sensitive to the environmental conditions. For this reason, biopesticides products have been formulated based on secondary metabolites, recently. These biomolecules participate as biological control agent, such as: cyclic depsipeptides, amino acids, polyketides, polyphenols and terpenoids, affecting their morphology, life cycle and insect behavior. The use of secondary metabolites of entomopathogenic fungi opens the possibility of application in a more efficient way for the control of agricultural pests in a compatible with the environment and human health;therefore, it is important to know, analyzing the type of molecules, their effects, and their different methods of application.

Fungi Associated with Sand and Plants from Marine Coastlines: Potential Relevance for Human Health

The fungal community associated with beach sand and plants located along marine coasts are an under-studied area of research despite its potential relevance to human health. In this study, we isolated and identified the cultivable mycobiota associated with sand and plants collected along the coast of Gran Canaria (Spain) using culture-dependent and -independent methods. Clinically relevant species belonging to Cryptococcus spp. and related genera such as Naganishia and Papilotrema were isolated and identified from shoreline plants. Moreover, Candida tropicalis was isolated from beach sand, and Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus terreus strains were associated with both types of samples (i.e., plants and beach sand). We conclude that beach sand and shoreline plants are potential reservoirs of fungi of high clinical interest. We recommend including beach sand and plants from the environment when assessing the quality of marine coastal systems. Our results open a framework for studying the natural marine environment and its role in the epidemiology of infectious diseases in order to more accurately manage public health.

Resistance of Microbial Community of Artemisia annua L.to Pathogenic Fungi

[Objectives]This paper was to figure out whether the dominant bacterial community has the role and effect of bacterial community and its defense mechanism against potential pathogenic fungi in Artemisia annua,and thus establish a systematic model of bacteria-fungus-plant.[Methods]Fifty-eight strains of bacteria and one strain of pathogenic fungi,Globisporangium ultimatum,were used for the experiments.These 58 bacterial strains were assembled into a bacterial community,and the bacteria with abundance in the top 1%were reassembled into a dominant bacterial community as measured by 16S rDNA.[Results]The growth of A.annua seedlings inoculated with bacterial communities and pathogenic fungi or dominant bacterial communities and pathogenic fungi was significantly better than that of A.annua seedlings inoculated with pathogenic fungi during in vitro confrontation,which was evident in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant assays.[Conclusions]The results suggest that the dominant bacterial community has a crucial role as a representative core microbial community of synthetic bacterial community,which can protect plants by interfering with the growth of phytopathogenic fungi mediated by chemical signals,and can be used as the main synthetic community of biocides to achieve the effect of biocontrol.

Screening of Two Biocontrol Strains of Bacillus subtilis against Ginseng Soil-borne Disease and Their Antifungal Activities

[ Objective] The paper was to obtain biocontrol strains with good control effects against ginseng soil-borne disease through screening. [ Method] Dilu- tion plate method and plate confrontation culture method were used to isolate and screen biocontrol bacteria from the rhizosphere soil of diseased ginseng. The strains were identified through morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA. [ Result ] With Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum and Fu- sarium solani as the indicator strains, two biocontrol strains B59 and X1 with strong antagonistic effects were screened from the rhizosphere soil of diseased ginseng in Tieli farm of Heilongjiang Province, and they were identified to be Bacillus subtilis. The inhibition rates of two biocontrol strains against eight different fungi were all greater than 90%. The primary study indicated that B59 and X1 strains could secrete antifungal active substances. [ Conclusion] Two biocontrol Bacillus subti- lis strains 1359 and X1 all had strong antagonistic effect against ginseng soil-borne disease, which had certain potential for development and utilization.

Fermentation, formulation and evaluation of PGPR Bacillus subtilis isolate as a bioagent for reducing occurrence of peanut soil-borne diseases

Four isolates of Bacillus subtilis coded,B4,B7,B8 and B10 were examined as biocontrol agents for their abilities and antagonistic effect on the in vitro growth of certain phytopathogenic fungi of peanut,Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium rolfsii.Bacillus subtilis isolate B4(GenBank accession no.EF150884)was the highly effective one for inhibiting the fungal mycelial growth.Batch fermentation of B.subtilis isolate B4 was carried out and the maximum biomass achieved was 4.53 g L-1 at 11 h.Bacillus subtilis isolate B4 was formulated and evaluated as a biofungicide to reduce peanut soil-borne diseases under greenhouse and field conditions at the side of Rizolex-T(fungicide)as standard.Treatments by formulated plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)B.subtilis B4 and Rizolex-T in a soil infested with R.solani,S.rolfsii and mixture of them were more effective in decreasing percentage of damping-off,root and pod rot disease incidence(%)in greenhouse and open field environment during the two seasons 2015 and 2016.Treatments by PGPR gave highly dry weight and number of healthy pods compared to control of fungi treatment which was nearby to dry weights of healthy pods achieved by treatments by Rizolex-T in a soil infested with S.rolfsii,R.solani and mixture of them.Formulated PGPR B.subtilis B4 gave higher increasing of yield percentage than treatment by Rizolex-T in the two evaluated seasons 2015 and 2016.It can conclude that the produced bioforumlated agent was more efficient as fungicide when compared with the other chemical synthesized fungicides,safe for human and the environment and economy.

Prevention and Control Technology of Potato Soil-borne Diseases

In recent years,potato soil-borne diseases have occurred severely.The investigation shows that potato Fusarium wilt greatly affects potato yield,leading to a yield reduction rate of 21.8%.Potato powdery scab shows very mild symptoms on potato tuber,basically with no symptoms in some plots,but shows obvious symptoms on the root system.A large number of nodules which are produced on one side of the root system seriously affect water and fertilizer absorption function of the potato root system.Potato tubers expand slowly,leading to small potato tuber,low yield and low commodity rate.The fungus can survive in soil for more than 10 years.Potato soil-borne diseases are harmful and are difficult to control.Susceptible plants can be detected by high definition chromatographic control method and pathogen detection.For prevention and control of potato soil-borne diseases,first of all,disease-resistant varieties should be chosen and virus-free potato seeds are used for sowing.Secondly,metham and dazomet can be used to treat soil in order to prevent and control potato soil-borne diseases.The results showed that the dead seedling rate treated by metham was reduced from 35%to 12.5%compared with the blank control,and the yield was increased by 44.09 kg/ha,with an increase rate of 18.2%.Compared with the blank control,the dead seedling rate treated by dazomet was decreased from 35%to 7.5%,and the yield was increased by 38.10 kg/ha,with an increase rate of 15.7%.The soil treatment received obvious yield increase effect.

Root-associated endophytic fungi modulate endogenous auxin and cytokinin levels to improve plant biomass and root morphology of trifoliate orange

Root-associated endophytic fungi like Serendipita indica and arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi can improve plant growth and root construction, but the potential mechanism is unclear. In this study, Funneliformis mosseae(an AM fungus) and S. indica, singly or in combination were inoculated into trifoliate orange(Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings, to assess changes in biomass and root morphological traits, coupled with auxins and cytokinins concentrations in leaves and roots and the expression of auxin synthesis and transporter protein genes. After 20 weeks of inoculation with these fungi, shoot and root biomass, root total length, taproot length, average diameter, surface area, volume, and the number of lateral roots in 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-order were improved, and S. indica showed a relatively greater effect than F. mosseae and dual inoculation. Endophytic fungal inoculation also significantly increased the concentration of indoleacetic acid, indole butyric acid, trans-zeatin,dihydrozeatin, and isopentenyl adenine in leaves and roots, whilst F. mosseae and S. indica exhibited relatively greater effects on leaves and roots, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that both biomass and root morphological traits(except root projected area) were significantly positively associated with endogenous auxins and cytokinins. In addition, the inoculated plants recorded comparatively higher expression levels of indoleacetic acid synthesis genes(PtTAA1, PtTAR2, PtYUC3, PtYUC4, PtYUC6, and PtYUC8) and indoleacetic acid transporter protein genes(PtAUX1, PtLAX1, PtLAX2, PtLAX3, PtPIN1, PtPIN3, PtPIN4, PtABCB1, and PtABCB19) than the non-inoculated plants, among which F. mosseae and S. indica showed better effects in leaves and roots, respectively. These results suggest that root-associated endophytic fungi improved plant growth and root architecture, which were associated with changes in endogenous auxins and cytokinins.

Differential aluminum tolerance and absorption characteristics in Pinus massoniana seedlings colonized with ectomycorrhizal fungi of Lactarius deliciosus and Pisolithus tinctorius

Plant tolerance to aluminum(Al)toxicity can be enhanced by an ectomycorrhizal(ECM)fungus through biological filtering or physical blockage.To understand the roles of ECM colonization in Al absorption with regard to Al tolerance,Pinus massoniana seedlings were inoculated with either Lactarius deliciosus(L.:Fr.)Gray isolate 2 or Pisolithus tinctorius(Pers.)Coker et Couch isolate 715 and cultivated in an acid yellow soil with or without 1.0 mM Al^(3+)irrigation for 10 weeks.Biomass production,Al bioaccumulation and transport in seedlings colonized by the two ECM fungi were compared,and the three absorption kinetics(pseudo-first order,pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion)models used to evaluate variances in root Al^(3+)absorption capacity.Results show that both fungi increased aboveground biomass and Al tolerance of P.massoniana seedlings,but L.deliciosus 2 was more effective than P.tinctorius 715.Lower Al absorption capacity,fewer available active sites and decreased affinity and boundary layer thickness for Al^(3+),and higher Al accumulation and translocation contributed to the increased Al tolerance in the ECM-inoculated seedlings.These results advance our understanding of the mechanisms and strategies in plant Alto lerance conferred by ECM fungi and show that inoculation with L.deliciosus will better enhance Al tolerance in P.massoniana seedlings used for forest plantation and ecosystem restoration in acidic soils,particularly in Southwest China and similar soils worldwide.

Effects of Different Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Physiology of Viola prionantha under Salt Stress

Arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)fungi distribute widely in natural habits and play a variety of ecological functions.In order to test the physiological response to salt stress mediated by different AM fungi,Viola prionantha was selected as the host,the dominant AM fungus in the rhizosphere of V.philippica growing in Songnen saline-alkali grassland,Rhizophagus irregularis,and their mixtures were used as inoculants,and NaCl stress was applied after the roots were colonized.The results showed that V.philippica could be colonized by AM fungi in the field and the colonization rate ranged from 73.33%to 96.67%,and Claroideoglomus etunicatum was identified as the dominant AM fungi species in the rhizosphere of V.philippica by morphology combined with sequencing for AM fungal AML1/AML2 target.Inoculation with both the species resulted in the formation of mycorrhizal symbiosis(the colonization rate was more than 70%)and AM fungi significantly enhanced plants’tolerance to salt stress of varying magnitude.Higher activity of antioxidant enzymes and augmented levels of proline and other osmoregulators were observed in AM plants.The content of MDA in CK was higher than that in the inoculations with the stress of 100,200,and 250 mM.All indices except soluble protein content and MDA content were significantly correlated with AM fungal colonization indices.The analysis for different AM fungal effects showed that the mixtures and R.irregularis worked even better than C.etunicatum.These results will provide theoretical support for the exploration and screening of salt-tolerant AM fungi species and also for the application of AM-ornamental plants in saline-alkali urban greening.

Susceptibility of Wheat Varieties to Soil-Borne <i>Rhizoctonia</i>Infection

Response of 19 wheat varieties cultivated in Hungary varied within large limits to soil borne Rhizoctonia infection. The most frequent symptom, usually leading to damping off was the root neck necrosis. Four significant factors influencing the susceptibility of wheat comprised 71% of total variation but none of them was dominant. The inhibition of development of survivors in Rhizoctonia infested soil correlated with overall susceptibility of variety concerned. The varieties Emese, Kikelet and Palotás are proved to be less susceptible, but none of the varieties could be certified as tolerant. No relationships were revealed between pathogenicity of 26 Rhizoctonia strains studied and their taxonomic position or origin. The anamorph strains of Athelia, Ceratobasidium, Ceratorhiza and Waitea similar to Thanatephorus anamorphs selectively infected the wheat varieties, but the syndromatic pictures were undistinguishable with unarmed eye. R. solani was proved to be more aggressive against germinating wheat than R. cerealis. Nine significant factors influencing the virulence of Rhizoctonia strains comprised 82% of total variation, and six of them influenced exclusively Thanatephorus anamorphs.

Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associated with Six Rice Cultivars in Italian Agricultural Ecosystem Managed with Alternate Wetting and Drying

Alternate wetting and drying(AWD)system,in which water has been reduced by approximately 35%with an increased occurrence of beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)symbiosis and no negative impact on rice yield,was proposed to utilize water and nutrients more sustainable.In this study,we selected six rice cultivars(Centauro,Loto,Selenio,Vialone nano,JSendra and Puntal)grown under AWD conditions,and investigated their responsiveness to AM colonization and how they select diverse AM taxa.In order to investigate root-associated AM fungus communities,molecular cloning-Sanger sequencing on small subunit rDNA data were obtained from five out of the six rice cultivars and compared with Next Generation Sequencing(NGS)data,which were previously obtained in Vialone nano.The results showed that all the cultivars were responsive to AM colonization with the development of AM symbiotic structures,even if with differences in the colonization and arbuscule abundance in the root systems.We identified 16 virtual taxa(VT)in the soil compartment and 7 VT in the root apparatus.We emphasized that the NGS analysis gives additional value to the results thanks to a more in-depth reading of the less represented AM fungus taxa.

Morphological and Molecular Identification of Fungi Associated with Sesame Diseased Plants of the Three Agroclimatic Zones of Burkina Faso

Sesame is Burkina Faso’s second essential agricultural export after cotton. It’s consequently a supply of income for producers and foreign exchange for the country. However, sesame production is characterized by low average yields of about 538 kg·ha-1 at the farmer’s field as compared to the potential yield of the improved varieties (1500 - 2000 kg·ha-1). Fungal diseases are some of the major constraints to sesame production in Burkina Faso. The present study contributes to the development of means to control pathogenic fungi of this crop, which are responsible for significant losses. The objective is to identify the fungi associated with diseased sesame plant samples. To this end, 149 samples of diseased sesame plants were collected from different production sites located in three agro-climatic zones of the country. The analysis of the samples according to the blotting paper method, based on the morphological characteristics of the fungi, allowed the identification of 18 genera with prevalence rates from 2.68% to 97.98%. The most frequently identified genera were Macrophomina (97.98%), Cercospora (86.57%), Fusarium (85.23%), Phoma (62.41%) and Colletotrichum (61.07%). The results also showed a variable distribution of fungi according to the agro-climatic zone with the predominance of Macrophomina in all three zones. Molecular identification by DNA sequencing of 120 isolates belonging to the different fungi detected allowed the identification of 25 species of which the most representative were Macrophomina phaseolina, Cercospora sesami, Corynespora cassiicola, Alternaria simsimi, Alternaria porri, Fusarium oxysporum, F. fujikuroi, F. equiseti, Colletotrichum capsici, and C. gloesporiodes. The present study showed that diseased sesame plants collected from different production sites in Burkina Faso housed several species of fungi. The fungi presence in diseased plants indicates the need to inform and raise the stakeholders’ awareness about the phytosanitary problems of sesame, but also to develop effective and appropriate control methods against these crop pathogens in Burkina Faso.

Isolation and Identification of Fungi That Cause Hair Loss (Alopecia)

Due to the crowded number of female students in a very narrow place, the fact that the college is for females only, and the fact that some of the female students live in the internal sections of the student residence, as well as the crowded number there, and as a result of the presence of the head covering or what is known as the Islamic veil on the head, which covers the hair of the head, which provides a suitable hot humid atmosphere 100% of fungal growth in the scalp of female students. Therefore, it is necessary to know the widespread fungal species that contaminate the scalp. In other research, we learn about the antifungals that should be used to reduce fungal infections in college employees. The study was carried out to identify the presence and spread of fungi that cause hair loss. The study was conducted on some students of the College of Education for Girls/University of Shatra for the period from 1/11/2021 to 1/12/2021, where 100 hundred hair samples were collected from (the scalp) from different ages in different educational stages, as random samples were taken after asking the student whether she suffers from hair loss or not, and studying the presence and spread of fungi in terms of density and type, after transferring them to the microbiology laboratory-College of Education for Girls using sterile sample collection bags. The current results showed that the fungal species E. flocculosum is the most common among them, followed by the fungal species C. carrionii, then the rest of the genera are as follows: E. flocculosum, Basisdioplus, Aspergillus terreud Hormderndrum Rhodotorula, Bipolaris, Aspergillus, Phoma, Rhizopus, Blastomyces, Microsporum, Sporothrix, Exophiala jeanselmei, Neoscytalidium Aeremonium Cladophialophora carrionii, Paecilomyces, Exophiala dermatitidis, Geotrichum, Volvariella, Rhizomucor, Saksmaea vassiformis, Candida albicans, Chrysosporium, Dimiatum.

Inventory and Management of Fungi Associated with Banana Plant through the Use of Allium ampeloprasum and Cymbopogon citratus Extracts

Despite the nutritional, economic and medicinal values of banana plant, independent of the region and production system is confronted with some diseases such as the fungi disease. These fungal diseases are responsible for the low yields. The objective of this study was to improve the sanitary state of banana plant. To achieve this objective, fungi associated with banana leaves were isolated on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) culture medium and their identification was done on the basis of morphological and microscopic characteristics using reference documents. Antifungal activity of Allium ampeloprasum and Cymbopogon citratus extracts were evaluated in vitro on agar medium on the development of Pseudocercospora fijiensis, P. musicola and Pestalopsis sp. The results showed that banana plant harbours a diversity of fungal species, the most frequent being P. fijiensis (51.58%), Pestalopsis sp. (15.47%) and P. musicola (12.03%). Aqueous extracts of C. citratus at the concentration of 15 mg/ml, inhibited 100% of the radial growth of P. fijiensis and Pestalopsis sp with a fungitoxic activity. Similarly, ethanolic extract A. ampeloprasum inhibited at 100% the radial growth of Pestalopsis sp. This antifungal activity was fungistatic. These results suggest that the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the tested plants could be used as alternatives to chemical products in the fight against banana diseases especially Sigatoka. Hence further studies need to be undertaken to isolate the active compounds from these extracts with fungicidal potential.

Morphological Identification of the Main Fungi Associated with Sesame in Burkina Faso

Several fungal species are responsible for diseases that damage sesame crop and cause production losses. These seed-borne fungi cause serious damage by reducing seed germination. To identify the fungi associated with sesame seeds in Burkina Faso, 72 sesame seed samples were collected from 24 localities in the main production areas (Sudanian zone, Sudano-Sahelian zone, Sahelian zone). These samples were submitted for seed health analysis using the blotting paper incubation method. The results obtained revealed that the seed samples were contaminated by various fungi, the main ones being: Fusarium spp. Link: Fr. infecting 97.22% of the samples, Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. (90.28%), Alternaria sesamicola E. Kawamura (83.33%), Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Boedijn (76.39%), Cercospora sesami A. Zimmerm. (73.61%), Phoma sorghina Boerema, Dorenbosch, & Van Kesteren (73.61%), Aspergillus flavus Link: Fr. (69.44%), Cladosporium sphaerospermum Penz. (56.94%), Rhizopus sp. Ehrenb. (40.28%) and A. niger Tiegh. (36.11%). In each seed sample, 0.25% to 94% of the seeds host one or more fungal species. Regarding the climatic zones, the results revealed that A. sesamicola and A. flavus were more represented in the Sudanian zone than in the Sudano-Sahelian and Sahelian zones;while P. sorghina, and C. sphaerospermum were more encountered in the Sahelian zone than in the other two zones. This study showed that the majority of sesame seeds produced and used by farmers in Burkina Faso host one or more species of fungi at high levels.

Diversity of soil bacteria and fungi communities in artificial forests of the sandy-hilly region of Northwest China

Soil erosion is a serious issue in the sandy-hilly region of Shanxi Province,Northwest China.There has been gradual improvement due to vegetation restoration,but soil microbial community characteristics in different vegetation plantation types have not been widely investigated.To address this,we analyzed soil bacterial and fungal community structures,diversity,and microbial and soil environmental factors in Caragana korshinskii Kom.,Populus tomentosa Carr.,Populus simonii Carr.,Salix matsudana Koidz,and Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.forests.There were no significant differences in the dominant bacterial community compositions among the five forest types.The alpha diversity of the bacteria and fungi communities showed that ACE(abundance-based coverage estimator),Chao1,and Shannon indices in C.korshinskii forest were significantly higher than those in the other four forest types(P<0.05).Soil organic matter,total nitrogen,and urease had a greater impact on bacterial community composition,while total nitrogen,β-glucosidase,and urease had a greater impact on fungal community composition.The relative abundance of beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms was similar across all forest types.Based on microbial community composition,diversity,and soil fertility,we ranked the plantations from most to least suitable as follows:C.korshinskii,S.matsudana,P.tabulaeformis,P.tomentosa,and P.simonii.