Identification Manuals Research Articles

Standardizing fingerprint minutiae: A comprehensive inventory and statistical analysis based on Brazilian data

This study introduces a comprehensive inventory of 54 fingerprint minutiae and their variations aimed at standardizing characteristic point identification within forensic science. By analyzing a strategically sampled collection of fingerprints from the Brazilian Federal Police database, stratified by sex and geographic location, our research uncovers the complex interplay between various levels of fingerprint details (L1D, L2D, and L3D) and demographic factors such as sex and finger type. The sample encompassed the entire proposed list of minutiae, affirming the diversity and representativeness of the Brazilian populace, which had, for the first time, its minutiae frequency distributions studied. This investigation proposes a systematic approach for enhancing fingerprint identification accuracy by minimizing data categorization losses and lays the groundwork for more uniform comparative studies in the field. Our findings, derived from a review of contemporary studies and traditional identification manuals, suggest a step towards establishing a universally accepted standard for fingerprint minutiae classification.

COSMARIUM TAXICHONDRIFORME EICHLER & GUTWINSKI 1895 – THE FOURTH RECORD OF A RARE DESMID (ZYGNEMATOPHYCEAE, STREPTOPHYTA) IN CHERNIHIV POLESIE

Purpose. Adding new distribution and microphotographs of a rare taxon of the genus Cosmarium found in a small pond in Chernihiv Polesie. Review of the history of this taxon study in Ukraine and its taxonomy, infraspecific taxa characters are compared discussed. Methodology. The new locality of C. taxichondriforme is situated at the border of the landscape reserve of national significance "Zamglai" that is one of the largest eutrophic swamps in the Chernihiv Polesie. During the field research of the Zamglai bog complex, algal samples were collected from a small pond (2000 м2) situated along the road to Hrybova Rudnia village from route E95, at the distance of 1,8 km village and 0.8 km from the route. The samples were fixed with 4 % formalin for further study in laboratory conditions; pH and electrical conductivity of water were measured with a portable pH and conductivity meter. Microscopic examination of the samples was carried out using a light microscope equipped with a camera for taking microphotos. Identification manuals and monographs of the leading Ukrainian (Palamar-Mordvintseva, 1986, 2005) and European desmidiologists (Lenzenweger, 1999) were used for species identification. The iconotype provided in the original description of the newly recorded taxon (Eichler &Gutwiński, 1895) was used. Scientific novelty. The fourth record in the Ukrainian desmidioflora and a new locality in Chernihiv Polesie of a rare taxon from the genus Cosmarium is documented. Previously it was discovered 26 years ago (Palamar-Mordvitseva & Shindanovina, 1998) in Soseske bog nearby Olyshivka village Chernihiv rayon and oblast. This is the first publication of Ukrainian cells microphotographs. Conclusions. All records of this taxon in Ukraine are in Chernihiv Polesie. We hope this publication will provide good illustrative and informative basis for further findings of C. taxichondriforme in other regions of Ukraine. Sampling small water bodies should not be neglected.

COSMARIUM RETUSIFORME VAR. INCRASSATUM GUTWIŃSKI 1890 (ZYGNEMATOPHYCEAE, STREPTOPHYTA) – NEW RECORD OF RARE DESMID IN UKRAINE

Purpose. Adding a new taxon of the genus Cosmarium to the desmids flora of Chernihiv Polesie. Methodology. The landscape reserve of national significance “Zamglai” is one of the largest eutrophic swamps in the Chernihiv Polesie, which is an important refugium of hydrophilic phytodiversity of the forest zone, a place of concentration of a number of rare species of the boreal group and representatives of various biotic complexes. During the field research of the Zamglai bog complex, algal samples were collected and fixed with 4 % formalin for further study in laboratory conditions; pH and electrical conductivity of water were measured with a portable pH and conductivity meter. Microscopic examination of the samples was carried out using a light microscope equipped with a camera for taking microphotos. Identification manuals and monographs of the leading Ukrainian (Palamar-Mordvintseva, 1986, 2005) and European desmidiologists (Lenzenweger, 1999) were used for species identification.The iconotype provided in the original description of the newly recorded taxon (Gutwiński, 1892) was used. Scientific novelty. The second record in Ukrainian desmidioflora of a rare taxon from the genus Cosmarium is documented. Previously it was discovered 134 years ago (Gutwiński 1890) in the Roztochchia-Opillja mountain region, namely in the vicinity of Lemberg (former Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, a part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy – now Lviv, Ukraine). This taxon was found by the authors for the first time in the Ukrainian Polesie (Chernihiv Polesie). Description, cell dimensions and microphotographs in three views are included in this publication. Conclusions. The description and photographs of the three cell views of the taxon given in the article fill the gaps in the illustrative material of the national reference publications (Palamar-Mordvintseva 1986: 167, fig. 37 item 16) and create better conditions for identification and new records of this taxon in Ukraine. The distribution area of Cosmarium retusiforme var. incrassatum Gutwiński 1890 has been expanded. The flora of desmids of the Ukrainian Polesie is enriched with a new infraspecific taxon.

Characterisation of Non-Dermatophyte Fungus on The Toes of a Patient Diagnosed with Tinea Pedis

In a health center-level morbidity data report by the Gorontalo City Health Office in 2020, the prevalence of fungal-related skin diseases attained 4.76 percent (476 cases), including 56 cases of tinea pedis. One of the variables in athlete's foot is a workplace and type(s) of work that fail to satisfy basic health guidelines. In the case examined by this study, the patient was a butcher employed locally in a small shop. This study aims to use a variety of parameters to describe the non-dermatophyte fungi that cause butcher's toe infections. Fungus characteristics were performed macroscopically and microscopically. The observations were used to describe the characteristics of the fungus, which were then analysed descriptively with reference to the identification manuals book. Non-dermatophyte fungi such as Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus sp., Candida albicans, were identified in the study findings. Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus sp., Candida albicans and other types of fungi such as Metarhizium anisopliaea. This study demonstrates that non-dermatophyta fungal infections may be the source of butchers' tinea pedis.

Investigation of endophytic fungi in <i>Moringa oleifera Lam</i>. and determination of the phytochemical and proximate contents of its leaves and seeds

Moringa oleifera Lam. is embedded with huge nutritional values hence, it is being utilized in folklore medicine for various therapeutic and pharmacological applications. This study was conducted to identify the endophytic fungi associated with commercial dried and fresh leaves and seeds of Moringa oleifera. The phytochemical and proximate contents of the ethylacetate extracts of the samples were also determined. Surface sterilization procedures were carried out to isolate fungi while identification was by standard identification manuals. The phytochemical content analysis was by standard protocols while the proximate content analysis was done using AOAC protocols. Endophytic fungi isolated are from genus; Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Saccharomyces, Xylaria, Mucor, Nigrospora, Trichoderma, Alternaria, Penicillium and Macrophomina. From the qualitative analysis, flavonoid, tannin, steroid, alkaloid, terpenoids and cardiac glycoside were observed in all samples while saponin and phlobatannins were not detected in any sample. Reducing power was only observed in the fresh leaves and seeds samples. In quantitative analysis, fresh leaves showed the highest quantity of flavonoids (55.86±0.36 mg/g) while the fresh seed had highest quantity of cardiac glucosides, tannin and terpenoids. The dried leaves showed highest quantity of steroid and alkaloids. In the proximate analysis, the dried leaves had higher carbohydrate and crude fibre of 39.06±0.27 % and 14.32±0.01 % respectively. Moisture content was highest in the fresh leaves sample (20.26±0.06 %). Dried branded seed had the highest ash, crude lipid and crude protein contents. This study has shown that the leaves and seeds of M. oleifera are domains of diversity of endophytic fungi.

The Presence Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) Fungi In Some Agricultural Plants

The objective of this study was to determine the number of spores, root colonization and the type of AM Fungi in some agricultural plants in Oransbari District. Soil and root samples were collected across the agricultural land to isolate AM Fungi propagules using wet sieving method and root colonization using gridline method. AM Fungi spores subsequently identified by the Gedermann and Trappe identification manuals, some soil characteristics were also analyzed. The results showed that the number of spores at each sampling location ranged from 5.0 to 35 spores/50 gr of soil. The highest number of spores is found in the rhizosphere of Lycopersicum esculentum and the lowest is in Oryza sativa. The percentage of roots infected ranged from 15,3 to 76,38%, the highest of infections found in Oryza sativa and the lowest in Capsicum annuum. There were four AM Fungi morphotypes on agricultural soil of Oransbari i.e Glomus, Acaulospora, Scutellospora and Gigaspora. Soil pH and water content influenced the presence of AM Fungi, while Nitrogen and Phosphorus content did not influence the spore numbers in the soil as well as in the root. This might be related to the routine and highly use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides in these areas.

STUDI JENIS DAN POLA SEBARAN TUMBUHAN LAMUN DI PERAIRAN DESA TELUK BULI KECAMATAN MABA

Seagrass meadows are ecosystems consisting of one or more species of seagrass interacting with biotic and abiotic factors in their environment. Ecologically, seagrass has several important functions in coastal areas, one of which is seagrass as a primary producer in shallow waters which is a food source for several types of organisms. This research aims to find out the types of seagrass plants in the waters of Teluk Buli Village, and find out the pattern of seagrass plant distribution, and find out what environmental factors affect the growth of seagrass plants. This type of research is descriptive explorative, where the data collected includes the types of seagrass plants that have been identified, the pattern of seagrass plant distribution, and environmental factors that affect the distribution pattern of seagrass plants. The method used for data collection is the quadratic method (calculated plot). Analysis of seagrass plant type data using seagrass plant identification manuals, seagrass plant distribution patterns using morista spread index formulas, and environmental factors that affect the pattern of seagrass plant distribution are described and contained in observation tables. The results showed that the type of seagrass plant found in the waters of Teluk Buli Village was a type of Enhalus acoroides. The results of the calculation of the morista spread index showed that the seagrass plant Enhalus acoroides had a clustered distribution pattern with a value of Id 1. The results of measuring the environmental parameters of seagrass plants in the waters of Teluk Buli village, namely pH 5-6.6 categorized as acid, Humidity 20%-50%, and Salinity 28% - 31% Optimum category.

Characterization of the indigenous fermenters for the production of fermented condiments from soybean seeds

Several studies have shown that most condiments consumed in Nigeria today are produced from allochtonous microorganisms, and these organisms are usually associated with diseases or create negative impacts into the condiments. Several attempts have been made in order to control this ugly situation but there is still controversial thought in the choice of microorganism to be used in order to produce a non-toxic and palatable condiment. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize the indigenous fermenters for the production of fermented condiments from soybean seeds. Soybean (Glycine max) sample were gotten from the market and were transferred aseptically to the laboratory for further analysis, the samples were prepared and fermented in a wrapped Thaumatococcus danielli leaves (called Uma in Igbo and Ewe eran in Yoruba). The specific microbial genera were enumerated on appropriate selected media and identified using standard identification parameters with the aid of identification and taxonomic manuals. Soybean sample was fermented with indigenous microorganisms isolated from 7 days old fermented soybean sample. This was oven-dried, pulverized and packaged in a cleaned sterile screw capped container. Lactobacillus plantarum strain ZS 2058 (L), Bacillus subtilis strain 168 (B) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YJM555 (Y) were the indigenous microbes isolated from the 7 days locally fermented soybean and these were used for the production of light to dark brown condiments with water activity ranging from 0.27 – 0.37 for the fermented soybean in the plate and 0.22 - 0.36 for the fermented soybean wrapped with Thaumatococcus danielli leaves (called “uma” in Igbo and “ewe eran” in Yoruba). It was observed that the condiments produced using indigenous consortium of BLY was significantly (p<0.05) more preferable to the ones produced from single strain. Therefore this study has shown indigenous B, L, Y, BL and BLY produced good and palatable condiments from fermented soybean.

Investigating the Bioburden of “Neglected” Hospital Low Contact Surfaces

Microbes inhabit every surface, reproduce, and if undisturbed, could form biofilm. Hospital contact surfaces have been reported to play a major role in the spread of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). Most studies on these surfaces as a route for the spread of nosocomial infections have focused on the high-contact surfaces. There is a paucity of information on the bioburden of “neglected” low-contact surfaces such as bedside bible, ward television, and ward clock, etc. This study was carried out to investigate the bioburden of “neglected” low-contact hospital surfaces and compare it with that of the high-contact surfaces. Using a sterile swab stick moistened in normal saline, we collected 400 samples from contact surfaces of 20 randomly selected hospitals in Owerri, southeast in Nigeria, and by standard microbiological methods and with reference to standard identification manuals, microbial species were isolated and characterized. The results show that the mean of the bioburden in cfu/square swabbed surface of these “neglected” low-contact surfaces is significantly higher (p = 0.005) than that of the high-contact surfaces which may be a result of target hygienic cleaning, with attention on the high-contact surfaces and the low-contact surfaces are often “neglected”. This result gives an insight into the continued prevalence of hospital-acquired infections as these “neglected” low-contact surfaces continue to serve as a reservoir for pathogenic microbes and a source of continued microbial contamination of hospital surfaces. It therefore calls for a revamp of existing hospital cleaning protocols and redesigning of cleaning regimes.

Fungal Pathogens Associated with Damping-off Disease of Cashew Seedlings in Nigeria

Aim: This study was designed to isolate fungal pathogens associated with damping-off of cashew seedlings.
 Study Design: The cashew seedlings for this study were selected randomly from a number of infected cashew seedlings in the screen house.
 Methodology: Associated fungal pathogens were grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and identified using their characteristics and morphological features observed under the microscope with reference to published identification manuals.
 Results: The result showed that damping-off of cashew seedling is mostly associated with fungal pathogens such as such as Fusarium spp, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Pythium spp., Alternaria sp., Curvularia sp., Aspergillus niger, and Lasiodiplodia theobromae. However, Fusarium spp, and Pythium spp. were predominant and frequently isolated than other pathogens.
 Conclusion: The knowledge of these pathogens is important for designing strategies to safeguard cashew plant health against diseases in order to ensure sustainable cashew production in Nigeria.

Phytosociological survey of weed plants in soybean culture in the Gurguéia Valley

Phytosociology is a set of ecological assessment methods that aim to provide a view of plant species distributions within a plant assemblage. The objective of the current study was to identify and quantify the plants designated as weeds in a glyphosate-resistant soybean crop, using a phytosociological survey of a conventional planting system on the Fazenda Agrosantos (09°27’4124.4” S and 45º01’00.4” O), Vale do Gurguéia, Monte Alegre municipality Piauí state, Brazil. The site lies at a mean altitude of 652 m. Field collections were made 15 days after initial soya planting. For sampling, a 0.40 x 0.40 m quadrat was used, thrown randomly twenty times within the experimental area. Weeds were identified and quantified using the sum of the samples obtained from the quadrat samples. Plants that lay within the quadrat were identified, counted and collected for identification, which was carried out by comparison with specialist bibliographies and weed identification manuals. Evaluated variables were: frequency, density, abundance, relative frequency, relative density, relative abundance and species importance value index. In the soybean cultivation area, 60% of the sampled species were Eudicotyledons, and a total of 8 botanical families and 10 weed species were identified. The species Cenchrus echinatus, Ipomoea asarifolia (Desr.) Roem. & Schult, Amaranthus retroflexus L. and Zea mays L showed the highest values for the analyzed variables, and should therefore be of special attention to soybean producers in the region of Vale da Gurguéia, Piauí, Brazil.

Methods for observing, culturing, and studying living ascospores

Ascospore morphologies provide important characters with which to diagnose and describe taxa in Ascomycota. Ascospore features such as size, shape, color, septation, wall thickness, and guttulation, among others, are provided in identification manuals and descriptions of new species. Yet, by tradition, ascospores are usually described from dead fungarium material, and unfortunately, occasionally from immature or overmature ones. However, living, mature ascospores display a wealth of taxonomically informative morphological features that are lost or obscured when they die. Examples of the severe morphological changes that ascospores undergo when they die are provided here. Data from living ascospores may not be observed and recorded by mycologists because field and laboratory practices do not prioritize the study of freshly collected specimens. In this review, we discuss how to assess ascospore maturity and describe methods to produce an ascospore deposit for the purpose of obtaining living, mature ascospores. Ascospores are ejected from living, mature asci onto a cover glass or growth medium. The ascospores collected on these surfaces can be used in microscopy and culture studies. Notes on a method for isolating conidia on growth medium are also provided. This guide is aimed at those who have a basic understanding of ascomycetes, including the various types of ascomata and mechanisms of ascospore liberation. Methods given in this paper are primarily applied to ascomycete fungi that have active ascospore discharge. Some methods may be adapted for use with other groups that have passive discharge. Our purpose is to promote standardized, accurate, and thorough morphological characterization of living ascospores, as well as to encourage the routine employment of culture-based methods.

Host Range of Cotton Flea Beetle (Podagrica puncticollis) in a Hot Dry Tropical Environment of Ethiopia

Cotton flea beetle, Podagrica puncticollis is the most destructive insect pest of cotton in north-western part of Ethiopia. This study was conducted to identify and determine the host range of cotton flea beetle in Metema area. The field survey was undertaken from June 27, 2015 to January 9, 2016 in ten kebele administrations of the district. At least three fields were prospected after every 15 days, in each kebele for host plants as well as to determine population density and percent leaf damage by adult cotton flea beetle, at different growth stages of cotton plant. The composition of plant species with damaged symptom or infested by flea beetle was analysed using quantitative means and identified by comparing specimens with description of identification manuals. A total of 11 host plant species of cotton flea beetle were identified in the cotton growing areas of Metema throughout a season. Indigofera longibarbata (Fabaceae), Hibiscus articulatus, H. cannabinus, H. vitifolius, Abutilon figarianum, Sida alba and S. urens (Malvaceae), Bidens pilosa and B. setigera (Asteraceae), Corchorus olitorius and C. trilocularis (Tiliaceae) found to be common host plants of cotton flea beetle. Thus, among the host plants, H. vitifolius, H. cannabinus, H. articulatus, C. olitorius and C. trilocularis were the most suitable hosts for adult cotton flea beetle in respect of the number of adults per plant and percent foliage damage they sustained. These findings could aid in developing longterm management strategies for this important insect pest existing in a hot dry tropical environment of north-western Ethiopia.

Developing a framework for using Structure-from-Motion techniques for Road Distress applications

On Urban road networks, road agencies need to quickly identify road pavement distresses in order to identify appropriate maintenance and rehabilitation strategies. This is integral as agencies are plagued with financial and time constraint issues. There have been several attempts over the last few years to identify new solutions and techniques to solve these issues. Several of these have shown merit and accuracy in identifying distresses. However, the techniques in many instances are not correlated to available distress identification standards. One of the considered techniques is the use of Structure-from-Motion, which tries to recreate 3D distress models for identification and analysis. This paper considers this methodology and attempts to integrate it with measurement requirements used by distress manuals to illustrate how the technique can be used with real-world industry standards and practices. Case studies of different measurement types, on an urban road in Palermo, Italy, are considered. The results from these examples show that the technique replicates pavement distresses of varying measurement requirements and the paper presents a workflow of how it can be utilized to help optimize the pavement management system and their connections to different distress identification manuals worldwide.

Applied use of taxonomy: lessons learned from the first German intercalibration exercise for benthic diatoms

Abstract The first German intercalibration exercise for benthic diatoms was conducted to improve the application of the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive for running waters and lakes in Germany. The intercalibration exercise revealed several taxonomic problems. Among others, considerable problems occurred with identifying and differentiating species of the following four groups: (I) Amphora indistincta Levkov and A. pediculus (Kützing) Grunow, (II) Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta Ehrenberg and C. placentula var. lineata (Ehrenberg) Van Heurck, (III) Navicula cryptotenella Lange-Bertalot and N. cryptotenelloides Lange-Bertalot and (IV) N. reichardtiana Lange-Bertalot and N. caterva Hohn & Hellermann. The taxonomic problems that emerged occurred due to both insufficient use of given taxonomic details (by limnologists) and ambiguous species descriptions and documentation (by taxonomists). Thus, we recommend to the applied limnologist to use the mandatory identification literature and to document any ambiguous valves during routine counts. Also, it would be desirable to further investigate certain species by taxonomists and, in general, to provide more basic data with species descriptions or in identification manuals. These measures will improve the use of diatoms as bioindicators and consequently benefit both applied limnologists and taxonomists.

Science comes from collaboration and communication: theFlora of Tropical East Africaas an example

Herbaria are often seen as old-fashioned, but they are a vital tool for biodiversity research. One aspect of such research is the writing of Floras: identification manuals and taxonomic treatments and regional monographs rolled into one. The Flora of Tropical East Africa is the example highlighted here. It was started in 1948 and completed in 2012, it deals with just over 12,000 species for a large and diverse tropical area. In all, 135 authors from 22 countries collaborated with illustrators to produce this Flora, and it was based on more than a million plant specimens collected by 2500 collectors and preserved in many herbaria. The process of producing such a Flora is discussed, as well as the goals and results.

FDTD Simulation of the GPR Signal for Preventing the Risk of Accidents due to Pavement Damages

It is well known that road safety issues are closely dependent on both pavement structural damages and surface unevenness, whose occurrence is often related to ineffective pavement asset management. The evaluation of road pavement operability is traditionally carried out through distress identification manuals on the basis of standardized comprehensive indexes, as a result of visual inspections or measurements, wherein the failure causes can be partially detected. In this regard, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has proven to be over the past decades an effective and efficient technique to enable better management of pavement assets and better diagnosis of the causes of pavement failures. In this study, one of the main causes (i.e. subgrade failures) of surface damage is analyzed through finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation of the GPR signal. The GprMax 2D numerical simulator for GPR is used on three different types of flexible pavement to retrieve the numerical solution of Maxwell's equations in the time domain. Results show the high potential of GPR in detecting the causes of such damage.

Diversity of terrestrial Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta) in Latin America: Current knowledge and future research potential

This article reviews the current knowledge on terrestrial enchytraeid diversity in Latin America and it outlines the research potential that this group offers. Enchytraeids occur worldwide in all soils with sufficient moisture, oxygen and nutrient supply, but knowledge on their diversity and functioning in the tropics is practically non-existent, except in Latin America. Here, taxonomic efforts and research projects have led to the knowledge of currently 62 terrestrial or semi-aquatic species. Abundance of enchytraeids could be determined at the species level, and differences in the ecological behaviour of species were detected concerning factors such as soil type and land use. Especially South America harbours a rich and idiosyncratic enchytraeid fauna, dominated by genera or species absent or rare in other regions of the world, which is interesting from the phylogenetic point of view. However, only a minute fraction of the actual diversity is known to-date. Seventeen species are possibly peregrines. Densities appear to be comparable to those in temperate regions, from below 10,000 to 270,000ind.m−2, suggesting that enchytraeids may be as important for soil processes as in temperate regions. Site-specific species richness makes enchytraeids good biological indicators. Enchytraeids provide a widely open field for research in Latin America ranging from taxonomy and faunistics over biogeography, phylogenetics, comparative morphology, and developmental biology, to fundamental and applied ecology. The widespread ignorance concerning enchytraeids among scientists and naturalists as well as the current taxonomic impediment should be overcome by sound taxonomical and ecological work, training courses, identification manuals and popularization.

Study on Screening Microorganisms with Resistance to Parathion-Methyl and Degradation Characteristics

Toxicity of organophosphorus pesticide and the use of non-standard, which was the main factor of soil pesticides pollution, directly or indirectly harm human health. This study screened three wild species of bacteria, from the soil contaminated by pesticides in long-term, and respectively name as A1, A2 and A3. According to the bacterial 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis, combining with bacterial morphology, physiological and biochemical experiment results, and referring to "Berger bacterial identification manuals (eighth edition)", identified the three strains as Bacillus Branch, Clostridium microorganisms. A1, A2 and A3 were respectively Bacillus pasteurii, Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium acetobutylicum. Through the strain’s degradation and tolerability experiment to parathion-methyl, it turned out that the three strains reached the highest degradation rate in 12h, which was 73.04%, 78.05% and 85.51%, respectively.

Identification and host range of causal agent of dieback disease on Jatropha curcas

Diseased Jatropha branches collected from Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Samaru, Zaria field were plated in Potato Dextrose Agar with Streptomycin (PDAS) and incubated for seven days. Grown cultures were observed under microscope and with aid of identification manuals Fusarium sp. was isolated. Inoculated seedlings showed symptoms of dieback. The fungus was also inoculated on some crop plants and it induced the typical dieback symptoms on sesame and leaf spot/ blight on groundnut and soya beans, respectively.