Fusaria and other fungi taxa associated with rhizosphere and rhizoplane of lentil and sesame at different growth stages

Density and diversity of Fusarium species and other fungi associated with rhizosphere and rhizoplane of lentil and sesame plants at three different growth stages were investigated. Sixteen species of Fusarium were isolated from rhizosphere (13 species) and rhizoplane (11) of both plants studied. In lentil, 11 species were recorded from its rhizosphere (9 species) and rhizoplane (8). Fusarium species associated with lentil rhizoplane gave highest number of propagules at the first stage of plant growth while the ones of Fusarium associated with the rhizosphere produced the highest number at the second stage of growth. F. solani was the most common in the three growth stages. In addition, of two growth stages, F. culmorum and F. tricinctum were isolated from the rhizosphere while F. nygamai and F. verticillioides from the rhizoplane. The other species were recorded from only one growth stage of lentil plant. In sesame plants, rhizosphere yielded nine Fusarium species while rhizoplane gave only six from the three stages investigated. Stage I of sesame rhizosphere possessed the highest colony forming units of Fusarium. As the case for lentil, F. solani was the most common species in sesame rhizospere and rhizoplane. F. verticillioides and F. nygamai (in three different growth stages) followed by F. oxysporum and F. tricinctum (in two growth stages) were recorded using the dilution-plate and/or soil-plate methods from sesame rhizosphere soils. Rhizoplane Fusarium species of sesame plants were isolated at the three different growth stages with almost equal number of colony forming units. F. poae came after F. solani in its frequency since it was recovered from two growth stages. Several of the isolated species are well-known as pathogens to many cultivated plants. To the best of our knowledge, three species are recorded here for the first time in Egypt from the rhizosphere (F. acutatum), rhizoplane of sesame plants (F. longipes) and from rhizosphere of both lentil and sesame and rhizoplane of lentil (F. nygamai).