On the other hand, various strains of Azospirillum sp. were
isolated from the rhizospheric soils of 23 leguminous and
non-leguminous plants distributed in a unique Mediterraneantype climate in eastern Libya. Soils with the highest counts
were observed in the rhizosphere of legumes. Based on the
morphology of the cells and cultural and biochemical characteristics, 15 strains of Azospirillum lipoferum were identified. The distributions and characterizations of these strains
varied based on the plant species and soil properties (Attitalla
and Salleh 2010). Azospirillum was present in abundant in
high population levels that recorded 1.1 Â 10
3
–1.32 Â 10
5
CFU g
−1 in 23 soil samples collected from the rhizosphere of
24 plants grown in different sites distributed in the Al Jabal Al
Akhdar region (Attitalla 2011). Azospirillum was also found
abundant in the rhizosphere of halophytes, which are collected
from El-Thaliga salt marsh near Benghazi. More than 25
Azospirillum isolates were recovered both from free and rhizospheric soil samples. A total of 13 isolates were screened to
select the most efficient strains in a microcosms experiment
with wheat. Morphological and biochemical tests indicated
that the three Azospirillum isolates belonged to A. brasilense,
and two belonged to A. lipoferum (Taher et al. 2019). Different genera of cellulose-decomposing bacteria were isolated
from the mentioned soils, including Cytophaga. Additionally,
Staphylococcus was detected in most studied samples (Baiu
and Nair 1999). While searching for antagonistic Actinomycetes in Libyan soils, 135 Streptomyces isolates from 39
soil specimens collected from different geographical regions
of Libya have been determined. The isolated Streptomyces fall
into four groups; the members of the grey series predominate,
followed by the brown ones. The other series occur in negligible numbers. Sixty-five percent of the isolates proved to be
antagonists, including 50% active exclusively against
Gram-positive, 3% active exclusively against Gram-negative,
and 12% active equally against Gram-positive and
Gram-negative microorganisms (Selim 1971).
7.4 Surveying and Screening of Soil Fugal
Flora in Some Regions of Libya
Mycoflora of soils have received considerable attention
during the last 40 years; most of the work in this respect
has been concerned with those fungi inhabiting cultivated,
desert, and saline soils. Some investigations have been
made into soil fungi in Libya. Naim (1976a, b) studied
rhizosphere and soil fungi of Artemisia herba-alba and
fungus flora under citrus trees in Tripoli, Libya. Youssef
(1974) studied the fungal flora of Libyan soil. El-Said and
Saleem (2008) studied soil fungi in the western region of
Libya. Mansour (2010) studied soil fungi in the eastern
region. Preliminary studies on isolating and defining fungi
species of Libyan soils focused on rhizosphere and soil
counts of fungi around Artemisia herba-alba grown in three
localities in Tripoli. Counts from localities near the sea
shore were higher than the counts from areas distant from
the south. From this area, 10 genera and 25 species commonly presented in the rhizosphere or soil of Artemisia
could be identified (Naim 1967). In another study, 63
species in 21 genera were reported. Four of these species
were Phycomycetes, 10 were Ascomycetes, and 49 were
Deuteromycetes. Of the reported species 55 were new
records, and one of these was a new species (Youssef
1974).
Surveys and screenings of soil fungal flora have been
made in wide areas of western and eastern regions of Libya,
in addition to other considerable investigations in different
parts of the country. Ecological and physiological studies on
soil fungi in the western region of Libya, which covered a
large area of the Jafara Plain, managed to isolate, estimate,
and screen many genera and species of fungi (El-Said and
Saleem 2008). A total of 75 soil samples of cultivated, desert, and saline soils (25 for each) were collected from different localities in the western region. The geographical
feature of the Jafara Plain (the region of study) is referred to
as a large area, as it is covers more than 17,000 km
2 . It takes
a triangle shape with the apex at the east, near Al khums
town. The north is parallel with the Mediterranean Sea coast
and is about 275 km long. The western side forms the
western borders of Libya and is about 150 km long (see
Fig. 1.1, Chap. 1). The highest value of total soluble salts
was detected in saline soil (1.02–8.89%), in the cultivated
(0.06–0.85%), and desert (0.01–0.48%) soils.
A total of 63 species and 5 varieties belonging to 30
fungal genera were recovered from the 75 different soil
samples: cultivated (29 genera (gen.) and 58 species
(sp.) + 5 varieties (var.)), desert (22 gen. and 35 sp. + 2
var.) and saline soil (21 gen. and 41 sp. + 1 var.). The most
common genera were showed in Table 7.1.
Studying the distribution and occurrence of various
groups of fungi in cultivated, desert, and saline soils in
eastern region contributed to knowledge of more soil fungi
(Mansour 2010). In this investigation, 100 soil samples were
collected from different sites spread over 10 locations. The
geographic area of the study varied over a wide area: from
Ajdabiya at the south, to Benghazi and along the coastline of
the Mediterranean Sea and the Al Jabal Al Akhdar to Derna
at the east (see Fig. 1.1, Chap. 1). Water content varied
between high dry soils (0.1–0.3%) and high wet soils (15–
20.5%) and occurred in the rainy locations in Al Jabal Al
Akhdar sites. The value of the total soluble salts was highest
in saline soils (1–8.9%); these values were not found in the
cultivated and desert soils. Fifty-nine fungal species
belonging to 23 genera were obtained from 100 collected
samples. The most common genera and species is shown in
Table 7.2.
7 Soil Microbiology and Biotechnology
93
isolated from the rhizospheric soils of 23 leguminous and
non-leguminous plants distributed in a unique Mediterraneantype climate in eastern Libya. Soils with the highest counts
were observed in the rhizosphere of legumes. Based on the
morphology of the cells and cultural and biochemical characteristics, 15 strains of Azospirillum lipoferum were identified. The distributions and characterizations of these strains
varied based on the plant species and soil properties (Attitalla
and Salleh 2010). Azospirillum was present in abundant in
high population levels that recorded 1.1 Â 10
3
–1.32 Â 10
5
CFU g
−1 in 23 soil samples collected from the rhizosphere of
24 plants grown in different sites distributed in the Al Jabal Al
Akhdar region (Attitalla 2011). Azospirillum was also found
abundant in the rhizosphere of halophytes, which are collected
from El-Thaliga salt marsh near Benghazi. More than 25
Azospirillum isolates were recovered both from free and rhizospheric soil samples. A total of 13 isolates were screened to
select the most efficient strains in a microcosms experiment
with wheat. Morphological and biochemical tests indicated
that the three Azospirillum isolates belonged to A. brasilense,
and two belonged to A. lipoferum (Taher et al. 2019). Different genera of cellulose-decomposing bacteria were isolated
from the mentioned soils, including Cytophaga. Additionally,
Staphylococcus was detected in most studied samples (Baiu
and Nair 1999). While searching for antagonistic Actinomycetes in Libyan soils, 135 Streptomyces isolates from 39
soil specimens collected from different geographical regions
of Libya have been determined. The isolated Streptomyces fall
into four groups; the members of the grey series predominate,
followed by the brown ones. The other series occur in negligible numbers. Sixty-five percent of the isolates proved to be
antagonists, including 50% active exclusively against
Gram-positive, 3% active exclusively against Gram-negative,
and 12% active equally against Gram-positive and
Gram-negative microorganisms (Selim 1971).
7.4 Surveying and Screening of Soil Fugal
Flora in Some Regions of Libya
Mycoflora of soils have received considerable attention
during the last 40 years; most of the work in this respect
has been concerned with those fungi inhabiting cultivated,
desert, and saline soils. Some investigations have been
made into soil fungi in Libya. Naim (1976a, b) studied
rhizosphere and soil fungi of Artemisia herba-alba and
fungus flora under citrus trees in Tripoli, Libya. Youssef
(1974) studied the fungal flora of Libyan soil. El-Said and
Saleem (2008) studied soil fungi in the western region of
Libya. Mansour (2010) studied soil fungi in the eastern
region. Preliminary studies on isolating and defining fungi
species of Libyan soils focused on rhizosphere and soil
counts of fungi around Artemisia herba-alba grown in three
localities in Tripoli. Counts from localities near the sea
shore were higher than the counts from areas distant from
the south. From this area, 10 genera and 25 species commonly presented in the rhizosphere or soil of Artemisia
could be identified (Naim 1967). In another study, 63
species in 21 genera were reported. Four of these species
were Phycomycetes, 10 were Ascomycetes, and 49 were
Deuteromycetes. Of the reported species 55 were new
records, and one of these was a new species (Youssef
1974).
Surveys and screenings of soil fungal flora have been
made in wide areas of western and eastern regions of Libya,
in addition to other considerable investigations in different
parts of the country. Ecological and physiological studies on
soil fungi in the western region of Libya, which covered a
large area of the Jafara Plain, managed to isolate, estimate,
and screen many genera and species of fungi (El-Said and
Saleem 2008). A total of 75 soil samples of cultivated, desert, and saline soils (25 for each) were collected from different localities in the western region. The geographical
feature of the Jafara Plain (the region of study) is referred to
as a large area, as it is covers more than 17,000 km
2 . It takes
a triangle shape with the apex at the east, near Al khums
town. The north is parallel with the Mediterranean Sea coast
and is about 275 km long. The western side forms the
western borders of Libya and is about 150 km long (see
Fig. 1.1, Chap. 1). The highest value of total soluble salts
was detected in saline soil (1.02–8.89%), in the cultivated
(0.06–0.85%), and desert (0.01–0.48%) soils.
A total of 63 species and 5 varieties belonging to 30
fungal genera were recovered from the 75 different soil
samples: cultivated (29 genera (gen.) and 58 species
(sp.) + 5 varieties (var.)), desert (22 gen. and 35 sp. + 2
var.) and saline soil (21 gen. and 41 sp. + 1 var.). The most
common genera were showed in Table 7.1.
Studying the distribution and occurrence of various
groups of fungi in cultivated, desert, and saline soils in
eastern region contributed to knowledge of more soil fungi
(Mansour 2010). In this investigation, 100 soil samples were
collected from different sites spread over 10 locations. The
geographic area of the study varied over a wide area: from
Ajdabiya at the south, to Benghazi and along the coastline of
the Mediterranean Sea and the Al Jabal Al Akhdar to Derna
at the east (see Fig. 1.1, Chap. 1). Water content varied
between high dry soils (0.1–0.3%) and high wet soils (15–
20.5%) and occurred in the rainy locations in Al Jabal Al
Akhdar sites. The value of the total soluble salts was highest
in saline soils (1–8.9%); these values were not found in the
cultivated and desert soils. Fifty-nine fungal species
belonging to 23 genera were obtained from 100 collected
samples. The most common genera and species is shown in
Table 7.2.
7 Soil Microbiology and Biotechnology
93