Fungal and oomycete diversity in maize rhizosphere soils

This study thus aims to provide baseline knowledge on what fungal species are present in Eastern Cape maize farm soils and provide a better idea of whether these soils contain potential maize pathogens. It addressed the challenges encountered by the emerging farmers in this region. The fungal and oomycete communities that were dominant in the soils belonged to the genera Fusarium, Penicillium, Trichoderma, and Globisporangium. This study provided the description of a newly proposed Penicillium species in the section Canescentia series Atrovenata. Overall, it shows that the fungal communities detected in the maize rhizosphere soils are relatively diverse and some have been reported to cause important maize diseases.