Aerobiological dynamics of potentially pathogenic fungi in a rice agroecosystem in La Habana, Cuba

Abstract

The aerobiology can play a key role in protecting the rice crop since many fungi can cause serious damage to agricultural areas. In this way, the ideal time to implement different security measures can be identified. To determine the presence of potentially pathogenic fungi in the air of the rice agroecosystem, a weekly monitoring of viable fungi was carried out using a volumetric sampler. Collected fungi were quantified, isolated, and identified based on their morphological characteristics. The results obtained demonstrated that the annual average concentration of filamentous fungi in the atmosphere of rice agroecosystem studied was 1,225 cfu m -3 levels ranging between 115 cfu m -3 (April) and 2,865 cfu m -3 (August). Pyricularia grisea was detected in the air for 5 months, since the second week of June until the first week of October, and highest average concentration (25 cfu m -3 ) was observed in August. Of the meteorological factors evaluated, temperature and relative air humidity influence the concentration of propagules of P. grisea in the air. Besides, other fungi were detected such as Curvularia, Bipolaris, Alternaria, and Cercospora, all with relevance to rice cultivation. This is the first characterization of aeromycological biodiversity in the studied region.

The air mycobiome is decoupled from the soil mycobiome in the California San Joaquin Valley

“…This hypothesis is supported by our observations of monthly shifts in the proportional abundance of taxa assigned to the plant pathogen functional guild as well as the dominance of Alternaria and Mycosphaerella in settled dust samples, genera that contain numerous plant pathogenic and parasitic species (Camiletti et al, 2022; Crous, 2010; Farrar et al, 2004; Fones et al, 2020; Koike et al, 2017). Similar seasonal patterns to the ones we show here have been observed in other agricultural regions, with increased abundances of plant pathogenic fungi in the late summer and autumn (Almaguer‐Chávez et al, 2012; Nicolaisen et al, 2017). The soil fungal community in the SJV, in contrast to the airborne fungal assemblage, changed little with time, suggesting that shifts in the distribution of fungi present in soils cannot fully explain the corresponding shifts in the distribution of airborne fungi above.…”

“…The seasonal pattern (temporal‐decay) we observed in airborne fungi in the SJV has been reported from other studies based on abundances of individual fungal taxa in air (Almaguer‐Chávez et al, 2012; Lacey, 1981; Lagomarsino Oneto et al, 2020; Reyes et al, 2016). Likewise, the distribution of taxa that make up the outdoor airborne fungal assemblage is associated with the frequency and timing of sample collection, whether weekly, seasonally or yearly (Cáliz et al, 2018; Du et al, 2018; Fierer et al, 2008; Nicolaisen et al, 2017).…”

Analysis of selected fungi variation and its dependence on season and mountain range in southern Poland—key factors in drawing up trial guidelines for aeromycological monitoring

“…In this research, the highest numbers of fungus species were observed in summer and autumn, which is corroborated by other authors (Asan et al 2004 ; Almaguer-Chávez et al 2012 ). The most dominant fungus in all the locations was C. cladosporioides .…”

“…Consequently, some authors regard aeromycological studies as an element of an ‘early warning’ signalling plant disease (Dowd and Maier 1999 ; Pusz et al 2013 ; Jędryczka 2014 ). Almaguer-Chávez and his team ( 2012 ) studied fungi concentrations colonising rice plantations and proved that aeromycological monitoring may be instrumental in signalling plant disease; this was corroborated by other researchers (Leyronas and Nicot 2012 ). Such studies may provide a database for mapping the distribution and/or occurrence of fungal spores which are both harmful to humans and pathogenic for plants (Toamssetti et al 2011 ).…”

Characterization of fluorescent Pseudomonas from Oryza sativa L. rhizosphere with antagonistic activity against Pyricularia oryzae (SACC.)

“…Some seeds were placed in a Nutrient Agar plate to confirm the disinfection process. P. oryzae AAM-275 was selected for the assays in plants, with the intention to assess if the antagonistic isolates were able to control the most common strain pathogen in the rice agroecosystem (Almaguer-Chávez et al, 2012).…”