Seasonal variation of air, soil and leaf surface fungi of broad bean and cellulolytic ability in Upper Egypt

Seventy-five species and 3 species varieties belonging to 21 fungal genera were collected from air, soil and leaf surface of broad bean plant on dicholran chloramphenicol malt extract agar (DCMA) and dichloran Rosebengal chloramphenicol agar (DRBC) at 28°C. The results obtained from leaf surface (phyllosphere and phylloplane), soil and atmosphere were basically similar in the two types of media and the most common fungi were: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Cladosporium sphaerospermum and Drechslera neergaardii. The monthly counts of these fungi on two types of media irregularly fluctuated giving maxima value at various months. A. flavus was the highest fungi that produced both exo- and endo-s-1,4-glucanases among the 9 tested isolates. Maximum production of two enzymes by A. flavus was 8 and 6 days after incubation at 30°C with culture medium containing glucose and cellulose as carbon sources and sodium nitrate as nitrogen source and initially adjusted to pH 6. Key words: Airborne fungi, soil and leaf surface, broad bean, cellulolytic ability.