ABSTRACT

Studies showed that rhizosphere soil is a huge pool for useful microbiome that can serve as biofertilizers and biocontrol. It is however pertinent to ascertain if utilizing rhizosphere soil microorganisms could be a way of introducing pathogenic organisms to plants. Consequently this research was therefore designed to assay for the presence of plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi in Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere. Soil samples were collected from Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere and their corresponding bulk soils, from six locations in a farm at Ekosodin Community. Benin City. Enumeration, characterization and identification of bacterial and fungal isolates were done using the standard bacteriological, morphological and biochemical methods. The expressed phenotypic pathogenicity of the isolates was evaluated using the overlay agar plate approach. There was a significant difference in the number of pathogenic bacteria and fungi present in Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere soil when compared to bullk soil.  Bacterial isolates seenin both Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere and bulk soil samples included Bacillussp.,Enterobacter sp., Serratia sp., and Alcaligenes. Fungal isolates seenin both Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere and bulk soil samples included Aspergillus niger and Mucour sp. while Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Rhizopus were only seen in Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere soil samples and Aspergillus niger, Trichorderma, and Rhodoturula were only seen in bulk soil samples. Although Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere soil is seen as a likely pool of useful microbiome that are source of biofertilizers and biocontrol agents, there is need to screen out pathogenic microorganisms from rhizosphere soils in other to enhance its usage.