Fungi diversity in the rhizosphere of corn and Spodoptera frugiperda larvae

Abstract

Fungi are heterotrophic organisms that can find in many habitat likes soil rhizosphere, and insect larvae in the field. The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity of fungi in the soil rhizosphere of corn and Spodeptera frugiperda larvae that are attacked by fungi in the field. Sampling of soil and insects infested by fungi in this study was carried out in a corn cropping in Gedung Johor Sub-district, Medan Johor District, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Isolation and identification were conducted at the Biology Laboratory, Universitas Negeri Medan. The results showed that the number of fungi found from the soil rhizosphere of corn plants was higher than from S. frugiperda larvae that were attacked by the fungus. There were 16 fungal isolates found from the soil rhizosphere of corn, namely: Penicillium (1 isolate), Trichoderma (2 isolates), Fusarium (3 isolates), Mucor (1 isolate), Aspergillus (3 isolates), and 6 isolates have not identified yet. Meanwhile, 9 fungal isolates found from S. frugiperda, consisting of 6 isolates from Aspergillus, and 3 other isolates have not been identified.