MYCOGEOGRAPHY OF FUSARIUM - SURVEY OF FUSARIUM SPECIES IN SUBTROPICAL AND SEMIARID GRASSLAND SOILS FROM QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

Fusarium species were isolated from grassland soil samples from four areas located along the Tropic of Capricorn between Rockhampton on the east coast and Boulia on the margin of the Simpson Desert in Queensland, Australia. Fusarium species were isolated by plating root debris on Selective Fusarium Agar, and by the dilution plate technique on peptone PCNB agar. The five most frequently isolated species were F. chlamydosporum, F. compactum, F. equiseti, F. nygamai and F. solani, all of which were isolated from each sampling area. F. chlamydosporum, F. compactum and F. equiseti were isolated more frequently from the drier sampling areas. F. solani was isolated more frequently from Rockhampton, a wetter, subtropical area. F. longipes was only isolated from the Rockhampton area. F. beomiforme was isolated frequently from the Rockhampton area, one culture was obtained from the Emerald area, and it was not isolated from the two driest areas. Five species. F. moniliforme, F. napiforme, F. oxysporum, F. scirpi and F. semitectum, and the undescribed population were isolated infrequently.