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