Mycobiota present in the phylloplane of some Poaceae at the Santa Lucía Research Center: An updated case study

Abstract

Research has been conducted in the classroom on the grounds of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, cultivated with Poaceae at the Santa Lucía Research Center in Barrancabermeja, Santander. The objective was to determine the genera of filamentous fungi present on the phylloplane of some Poaceae. The study included leaves of *Mombaza Guinea Grass* (Megathyrsus maximus, cv. mombaza), *Urochloa decumbens*, *Urochloa hybrida cayman*, *Tanzania Guinea Grass* (Megathyrsus maximus, cv. Tanzania), *Pennisetum purpureum*, *Pennisetum sp.*, *Paspalum dilatatum* clone 51, and forage cane (Saccharum officinarum). For leaf sampling, the protocols for the identification of filamentous fungi used by Álvarez (2017) and the zigzag sampling protocol described by Arias & Piñeros (2008) were employed. Samples exhibiting symptoms on the phylloplane of the leaf tissues were taken to the laboratory at the Santa Lucía Research Center. Once received, these samples were subjected to direct observation for symptom description and then analyzed using the imprint technique, following the protocol of the National University of Colombia (2011). The structures of the filamentous fungi were observed to identify their microscopic characteristics according to the pictorial keys of Barnett and Hunter (1972) and Kieffer and Morelet (2000). If no signs were observed, the samples were left in a humid chamber. The genera corresponded to Cercospora, Curvularia, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Nigrospora, Phaeosphaeria, Pirycularia, and Tetraploa, so the results obtained allow for the development of management strategies in the future.