• Liamgee, K.
  Department of Biological Sciences, Benue State University Makurdi, Nigeria.
  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6514-6383




• Awua Y.
  Department of Biological Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
  




• Fayinminu, A. O.
  Department of Biological Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
  




• Anshi, S. J.
  Department of Biological Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
  

Soil is a complex natural resource that represents a vast reservoir of biodiversity with severalrnbillion prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. A study was carried out to identify fungalrnorganisms colonizing the rhizosphere of tomato plants in Makurdi and to test theirrnpathogenicity on healthy tomato fruits. Soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere ofrntomato plantations at Akpehe, Wurukum area of Makurdi. The soil samples were placed inrnpolyethylene envelopes and taken to the Botany Laboratory of the Benue State UniversityrnMakurdi for isolation of fungi. Fungi isolation was done using the serial dilution method.rnExactly 1 ml of 10 -4 dilution level of the inoculums were placed in Petri dishes after whichrnmolten Sabouraud agar was aseptically introduced and incubated at room temperature for 5-7rndays. Data collected were analyzed using Analysis of Variance and Chi-square. The resultsrnshowed that six fungi were isolated from the soil samples namely; Aspergillus niger,rnAspergillus fumigatus, Rhizopus stolonifer, Fusarium sp, Penicillium sp and Curvularia sp.rnThe frequency of fungi occurrence in the soil samples was significant across species (? 2 =rn17.20, df = 5. P=0.01). Aspergillus niger had the highest occurrence 10 (26.32%), followedrnby Rhizopus stolonifer and Aspergillus fumigatus each with 7 (18.42%) respectively,rnFusarium sp 6 (15.79), Penicillium sp. 5 (13.16%) and the least occurrence was Curvulariarnsp. 3 (7.89%). Pathogenicity test revealed that rot induced by Rhizopus stolonifer wasrnsignificantly higher (10.52cm 2 ) on tomato fruits compared with that induced by Aspergillusrnfumigatus (7.30cm 2 ), Aspergillus niger (6.87cm 2 ), Penicillium sp. (5.20 cm 2 ), Curvularia sp.rn(5.00cm 2 ), Fusarium sp. (4.21cm 2 ) and the lowest was recorded in the uninoculated (control)rn(1.45cm 2 ) fruits. The isolated soil borne fungi were pathogenic when inoculated on healthyrntomato fruits. Further research should be carriedout on the effect, identification andrninteraction of both pathogenic and beneficial rhizosperic fungi on growth and development ofrnplants.