Assessment of Fungi Species Associated with a Multicultural Orchard and Cultivated Land in Bingham University Landscape, Karu Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Assessment of fungal species associated with a multicultural orchard and cultivated land in Bingham University landscape was carried out, with the ultimate aim of identifying the fungi species present in soil under different agricultural practices. A total of 30 soil samples were collected and the composite from each land use pattern was analyzed in the laboratory using standard methods. Soil type, percentage Soil Moisture (SM), percentage Organic Carbon (OC) and percentage Organic Matter (OM) were measured using standard methods; fungi species were isolated and identified on the basis of mycelia and spore characteristics, after staining with lactophenol-in-cotton blue. The results showed that, four types of soil exist in the sites including sandy, clayey, silt and loamy. SM ranges between 3.6% -5.7%, and OC in the sandy soil was the highest 1.01% in the orange plantation (Op5) followed closely by loamy soil on cultivated site C with 0.97% OM and 0.56% OC and least in clay soil with 0.72% OM and 0.42% OC. The results of colony forming unit per gram (cfu/g)in relation to land use type, Cultivated Site C (CC1-CC5) had the highest (262 cfu/ g) and mango plantation (Mp1-Mp5) had the least with 156 cfu/g. Pictorial representation of isolated fungal species are indicative of suspected presence of Aspergillus Spp, Mucor Spp, Cladosporium Spp, Fusarium Spp, Aspergillus Spp etc. This qualitative study concluded that fungal species population in the soil depends on the management practice in place and the moisture content of the soil