Fungal Diversity of Winter Wheat Parts, Seed and Field Soil in Iraq, Basra Province

Abstract

This study was conducted to survey the fungal microflora in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), ear, stem, root, seed and field soil in 17 field distributed on Basra province, Iraq. The mycoflora of plant parts, seeds and soil were determined morphologically and molecularly. In total 46 genera with 66 species of different fungal groups were found. The prevalent fungal group on all examined sources was the anamophic Ascomycota (85.34%), followed by Zygomycota (5.46%). Telemorphic Ascomycota was only at (3.64%) and Basidiomycota was in less than (1%). Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium were the dominant genera in soil and rhizosphere region. The same genera were found in seed but Alternaria was instead of Fusarium. The fungal diversity in plant parts was different, as Alternaria, Fusarium, Helminthosporium, Cladosporium, Penicillium and Aspergillus genera were more occurrence. The highest total fungal population was observed in rhizosphere region and soil, and the lowest was in wheat head. The occurrence of collective fungal community was almost identical in wheat seed, root and stem.