The Effect of Soil Physical and Chemical Characteristics on the Diversity and Spread of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Several Locations in Southern Syria.

Abstract

Abstract:

This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of some soil chemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity, and organic matter), and some soil physical properties (soil texture) on the presence of insect-pathogenic fungi. The research was carried out during the 2021-2022 seasons. 30 soil samples were collected from different agricultural and natural ecosystems from several locations in southern Syria (Abu Qawuq, Saasa, Beit Saber, then Henna). The baited trap method using Galleria mellonella larvae was used to detect the presence of entomopathogenic fungi in soil samples. The percentage of soil samples that contained insect-pathogenic fungi reached 60% of the total samples tested. The total number of isolates obtained was 100 isolates belonging to 18 species belonging to (12) genera: Acremonium, Aspergillus, Beauveria, Paecilomyces, Lecanicillium, Penicillium, Verticillium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Metarhizium, Mucor, and Rhizopus distributed in (7) seven species from the soil of several fields in the sites of Abu Qawuq, Sassa, Beit Saber, and then Henna in the Damascus countryside. The study showed a difference in the effect of physical and chemical properties on the recorded soil fungi depending on the study areas and the difference in the recorded soil fungi. There are soil fungi that are positively correlated with the percentage of clay, and fungi that are positively correlated with the percentage of sand. There was no positive correlation for all fungi in all study areas with celt.

Keywords: Properties chemical, Physical, Fungi, Southern Syria, Soil.