SPECIES DIVERSITY OF SOIL FUNGI FROM A CORN PLANTATION AT ECHAGUE, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

Soil fungi are a critical component of the agroecosystems and provide ecological services affecting food and bioproduct production. Awareness of the composition and distribution of local species is necessary to maximizethe productivity and sustainability of the agroecosystems. This study aimed at isolating fungi from the soilsamples collected from a corn plantation at Echague, Isabela, morphologically defining, characterizing, anddetermining the diversity of fungal isolates species. Soil samples from five (5) different sampling units werecollected and microbiological techniques were used to isolate the fungi. Identification was performed bymorphological characterization of fungal isolates guided by taxonomic keys and textbooks. Fungal diversity wasassessed using Simpsons indices of diversity. Sixteen (16) fungal isolates were found; 12 were known and four(4) were unidentified. Ten (10) species belong to the Ascomycota group, and two (2) belong to the Zygomycotaclass. The Aspergillns species dominated the region amongst all the species isolated and established. Aspergillzjfamigatus and Aspel.gillzlssflauas are densely populated and well distributed. A potent biocontrol agent was alsoidentified, namely Trichoderma hayanam and Tnkhodem viride. The Mncor sp. and the Mippw stoloniferous,Zygomycota fungi, were also identified