EVALUATION OF SOILBORNE PLANT PATHOGENIC FUNGAL COUNT IN VARIOUS LAND USE TYPES OF DISTRICT OKARA

Abstract

A field survey was conducted in district Okara to determine existing plant pathogenic fungal count in various land use types. The target sites were classified as orchard, barren land, fallow land, cultivated land and forest land use types. Field soil samples were collected from these land use types at different depths of 15, 30 and 45 cm respectively. Dilution of soil samples was made in sterilized distilled water and 1ml was poured on to the malt extract agar (MEA) medium in 90 mm diameter Petri plates incubated at 25±2°C for 5-7 days. Purified fungal colonies of Mucor spp., Fusarium solani, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp., Alternaria alternata, Curvularia spp., Rhizopus spp., and Helminthosporium spp. on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium were identified based on their morphological descriptions. These fungal counts were recovered from the soil at 30 cm depth which indicates an alarming situation for deep-rooted crops to soilborne fungal pathogens infestation in future.