Effect of Sparkill and Tafaban insecticides on the mycoflora of maize plant in Upper Egypt

Abstract

Sparkill (25% Cypermethrin) and Tafaban (48% Chlorpyrifos) insecticides were used in the treatment of maize plants in the field to investigate the effect of these compounds on fungi associated with roots and shoots of maize as well as on soil fungi. Generally, the two insecticides exhibited an inhibitive effect on the total and individual counts of glucophilic fungi after different periods of treatment except in some cases the counts were not affected or promoted compared with the control samples. Fungal genera and species associated with roots and shoots of maize plants were isolated from untreated plants as control and then compared with those isolated from plants treated with different doses of insecticides. The most common fungal species recovered from soil and different parts of plants were Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. terreus, Cochliobolus spicifer, Emericella nidulans, E. nidulans var. lata, Fusarium oxysporum, Gibberella fujikuroi, Nectria haematococca, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. funiculosum, P. oxalicum and Rhizopus stolonifer.

Keywords:

• insecticides
• maize
• glucophilic fungi