Aquatic phycomycetes from egyptian soil (Delta Region)

Abstract

Seventy identified and six unidentified species in addition to 5 varieties which belong to 30 genera of aquatic phycomycetes were recovered from 220 soil samples collected randomly from different localities in the Nile Delta and Suez canal regions including eleven governorates during November 1991. The highest number of aquatic fungal genera and species was obtained from El-Sharkya (24 identified and 4 unidentified species in addition to two varieties belonging to 14 aquatic fungal genera) and El-Dakahlia (24 identified and 4 unidentified species in addition to two varieties belonging to 13 aquatic fungal genera) Governorates, whereas the lowest was from Port-Said (13 identified and 2 unidentified species in addition to one variety belonging to 11 aquatic fungal genera). Pythium(high occurrence), Allomyces(moderate occurrences), Nowakowskiella, Aqualinderella, Achlya, Phytophthora, Olpidiopsis, Dictyuchusand Blastocladiopsis(low occurrence each) were the most frequent aquatic fungal genera recovered during this investigation, while Allomyces anomalus, Aqualinderella fermentans, Nowakowskiella elegans, Olpidiopsis brevispinosaand Blastocladiopsis parvawere the prevalent species. Soil samples which were characterized by relatively low temperature, high contents of organic matter and low total soluble salts were the richest in aquatic phycomycetes and vice versa.