Effect of C: N ratio on numbers and types of fungi in Egyptian soil.

ABSTRACT

The amendment of three different soil types [loamy, clay and sandy] with different carbon sources [glucose, cellulose, starch, chitin and sawdust] increased the total count of fungi compared with non-amended soil. Treatment with chitin increased the densities of Trichoderma harzianum. Testing the effect of different C N ratios [5 1, 10 1 and 40 1] on soil fungi in a loamy soil sample using glucose or cellulose and NaNO3 showed that a narrow C N ratio was more stimulative to the development of the fungal flora in the presence of glucose. However, a wide C N ratio was more favorable when cellulose was used as a carbon source showing that sugar fungi and cellulose decomposers responded differentially. Trichoderma was favored by a wide C N ratio [40 1] using either glucose or cellulose as a carbon source