A. Rhouma

• PhD in Plant pathology
• Post-Doc at Regional Centre of Agricultural Research of Sidi Bouzid, CRRA, Gafsa Road Km 6, B.P. 357, 9100, Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia

Microbial inoculants, single or consortia, are groups of microorganisms or their product that can be directly applied in soil or in plant. They have a positive impact on both soil and plant by restoring soil fertility and improving plant performance. Bacteria and fungi are essential components of plant ecosystems. These microbes include different k...

Background and Objective: Pleurotus ostreatus is a highly valued edible mushroom with significant nutritional, medicinal and economic benefits. Optimizing growth conditions, including light exposure, is critical to maximizing yields in commercial cultivation. This paper investigates the impact of light limitation on the growth, yield and morphology...

Ubiquitous endophytic fungi, residing asymptomatically within plant tissues, harbor immense potential as biocontrol agents against diverse phytopathogens. This biodiversity exhibits multiple antifungal mechanisms, including direct inhibition through the production of lipopeptides, antibiotics, and lytic enzymes. Endophytes prevent colonization and...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the world's most vital vegetable crops, holding immense agricultural, nutritional, and research significance. However, the Fusarium wilt disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, poses a severe threat to its global cultivation. This review paper focuses on the comprehensive management of Fusar...

Climate change is exacerbating fluctuations in environmental conditions, leading to increased plant disease severity and risk in agricultural production. Tomatoes are particularly susceptible to the airborne fungal pathogen Alternaria solani, which causes early blight disease and significant yield losses. This study investigated the potential of Ps...

Sustainable food production necessitates a safe and secure food system. Cultivating tomatoes, melons, and watermelons can enhance agricultural viability, food security, and their integration into diverse intercropping systems. However, Rhizoctonia solani, a necrotrophic plant pathogen with a broad host range, poses a significant threat to these cro...

O. 2024-Biology, diversity, detection and management of Plasmopara viticola causing downy mildew of grapevine (Vitis spp.). Asian Journal of Mycology 7(2), 37-50, Doi 10.5943/ajom/7/2/4 Abstract Grapevine downy mildew is a devastating disease that wreaks havoc on grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) worldwide. The causal organism of this disease is Plasm...

Pistachios are economically important crops facing increasing threats from fungal diseases, particularly Septoria leaf spot, which has a significant global impact, causing substantial yield losses and economic damage worldwide. This review comprehensively examined existing literature on Septoria leaf spot of pistachio, including peer-reviewed artic...

With the ever-increasing importance of pistachio as a crop nut worldwide, there has developed a parallel ingrowth in fungal diseases pertaining to it. Pistachio trees, being one of the few trees that grow in the Mediterranean climate, have come under several serious pathogens that endanger its very production. Such conditions, therefore, require a...

Integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) is a strategic approach that combines multiple pest and pathogen control methods to optimize their reduction while minimizing ecological and economic consequences. This multifaceted strategy serves as a fundamental component of sustainable agricultural systems, emphasizing the balanced integration of va...

Botryosphaeriaceae fungi are causal agents of panicle and shoot blight, a significant disease impacting pistachio and other nut crops worldwide. Initially described as Camarosporium pistaciae in Greece and later as Botryosphaeria dothidea in California, the disease is characterized by canker formation, shoot dieback, and fruit lesions. Symptoms inc...

High Tunisian grape yield demands alternative controls for fungal disease Plasmopara viticola due to fungicide cost, environmental impact, and resistance emergence. In arid Tunisian vineyards (n=32), this study investigates the isolation, diversity, and characterization of rhizospheric fungi for potential downy mildew biocontrol. Fungal isolates ar...

Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium spp. are entomopathogenic fungi with potential applications beyond insect pest control, including plant disease suppression, plant growth promotion, and rhizosphere colonization. This study investigated the plant growth-promoting characteristics and extracellular enzyme activities of Metarhizium spp. and B. bassia...

Endophytic fungi, as a group of fungi, are ubiquitous endosymbionts in plants and important components of their fungi. The colonization of endophytic fungi within plant tissues demonstrably affects the rate of decomposition of woody materials. The interaction between fungal endophytes and plants is long established and studied due to the high diver...

Currently, modern agriculture is increasingly in need of alternatives to synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides. This is in response to changes in international law and regulations, as well as consumer demands for food that is free of potentially toxic residues. Microbial-based biostimulants offer an innovative biotechnological solution f...

Endophytic fungi are considered an eco-friendly and bio-safe alternative to increase agricultural productivity. The study objectives were to isolate and identify endophytic fungi from the roots of Rhizophora racemosa and to assess their effect on the growth of Cucurbita maxima plants. Molecular identification of the endophytic fungal isolates revea...

Bemisia tabaci poses a major threat to tomato crops, causing significant yield losses and economic damage to farmers. This study investigates the conidia filtration method as a potential management strategy for B. tabaci under greenhouse conditions. Evaluating the efficacy of this approach in controlling the whitefly population while potentially pr...

This study assessed the lichen diversity, and substrate growth preferences in a bid to determine the air quality in Ikot Oyoro, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A total of eight (8) lichen species were found in the survey area, the species includes; Candelaria concolor and Hypogymnia physodes which had the highest number of occurrences, while Phlyctic arg...

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, the causal agent of tomato Fusarium wilt, is an important soil-borne pathogen responsible for severe losses and reduction in total yield both in fields and in greenhouses. While fungicides are, the most effective, prolonged use raises concerns about human health and environmental burdens. This research aimed t...

Endophytic fungi play crucial roles in promoting plant growth and enhancing stress tolerance, making them valuable allies in agriculture. This reviewer explores the advantageous roles and implications of endophytic fungi in plant stress tolerance, focusing on hormonal regulation, nutrient uptake, and their management of various abiotic and biotic s...

After almost two centuries since the infamous Irish Potato Famine, potato late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, continues to be the most economically destructive potato disease globally, resulting in annual losses surpassing 10 billion USD. Considerable advancements have been made over several decades in comprehending the mole...

Capsicum, a genus native to tropical and subtropical America, holds immense nutritional, economic and cultural significance due to its diverse species. However, these valuable crops face a constant threat from various diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and especially the notorious Phytophthora capsici. P. capsici, first identified as a pep...

Plant growth promoting fungi PGPF is considered a major biological technique that results in significant plant growth and yield. Use of high doses of chemical fertilizers increased cost of crop production and environmental pollution. PGPF could be a reliable alternative to reduce application of agrochemicals such as chemical fertilizers in modern a...

Waterlogging smothers soybean growth, choking roots and disrupting essential functions. Oxygen starvation, nutrient imbalance, and weakened defenses against disease leave plants stunted, chlorotic, and vulnerable. Yields plummet, seeds struggle to mature, and soil suffers long-term consequences, painting a grim picture for soybean crops submerged i...

This study was carried out to comparatively look at the most efficient methods of dormancy breaking in Terminalia mantaly using microorganisms (Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Candida sp., and Aspergillus spp.), chilling, heating, 1% HCl, scarification, and Dil. H2SO4. Analysis of seed germination percentages (PGS) over 5-31 days revealed that T. mantaly...

The study investigated the antifungal and phytochemical properties of three forest plants (Eucalyptus globulus, Pistacia lentiscus, and Juniperus phoenicea) against apple diseases caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Alternaria alternata. The determination of the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents in the three aqueous extracts of studi...

Verticillium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae Kleb., poses a significant threat to olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivation worldwide. This review provides an in-depth comprehension of the disease and its management strategies. The genetic diversity of V. dahliae, comprising various pathotypes and races, has implications fo...

Post-harvest spoilage of fruits and vegetables caused by fungal pathogens is a serious challenge to fruit production in many parts of the world. The study was conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of fungal pathogens associated with post-harvest rot of mango fruits to crude extracts from two edible plants, Allium sativum and Ocimum gratissimum, in...

Botrytis cinerea Pers., the causal agent of gray mold, is an airborne pathogen that causes significant damage to tomato crops worldwide at all development stages and post-harvest. In this study, the aqueous extract of Capsicum annuum seeds was screened for its phytochemical constituents and assessed at various concentrations (10, 20, 30, and 60%) f...

Post-harvest rot symptoms caused by complex airborne fungi are nowadays the most serious threatening disease affecting orange fruits in Nigeria and presumably in many African countries. Experimental trials were conducted at the Department of Biological Sciences (Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria) from January to December 2022 to ascertain the pathogens asso...

Some species of Trichoderma have been successfully used in commercial biological pesticides against fungal pathogens, e.g., Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria solani, two economically important airborne pathogens of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). The objectives of the present study were to provide physiological (pH and temperature) and biochemical (...

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), which belongs to the order Poales and Family Poaceae, is one of the most important strategic cereal crops around the world. There are many fungal diseases that may occur with this crop. Ascochyta leaf spot is one of the important foliar diseases of wheat. It was found that Ascochyta tritici (Teleomorph: Didymellaexitia...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important and valuable fruit because of its unique economic, health, and nutritional benefits. Among the fungal diseases affecting tomato crops, gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr., is considered one of the most devastating diseases leading to an accountable loss. This airborne pathogen has the abi...

Botrytis cinerea, a causal agent of gray mold disease, is one of the most destructive fungal pathogens that leads to substantial global economic crop losses, especially for tomato plants. The present study aims to investigate the inhibitory effect of two microbial culture filtrates (BCA filtrate alone and combined with salicylic acid) of Trichoderm...

Botrytis cinerea Pers., the causal agent of gray mold, is an airborne pathogen that causes significant damage to tomato crops worldwide at all development stages and post-harvest. In this study, the aqueous extract of Capsicum annuum seeds was screened for its phytochemical constituents and assessed at various concentrations (10, 20, 30, and 60%) f...

Background In our continuing search for biologically active natural enemies from North of Africa with special reference to Tunisian fungi, our teamwork screened fungi from different ecological habitats in Tunisia. Our previous study on the comparative effectiveness of filamentous fungi in the biocontrol of Meloidogyne javanica, a taxon (Lecanicilli...

Recently plant essential oils received increasing attention for plant health and food security in the sustainable agriculture context. Essential oils are promising biological sources since they are cost-effective, biodegradable, and safe for human health and the environment. This review covers the essential extraction characteristic, extraction met...

The nematicidal potential of five filamentous fungi as biological control agents (BCAs) against the root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne javanica, infecting tomato was assessed in vitro and in pot experiments. The five promising native taxa, namely Trichoderma longibrachiatum, T. harzainum, T. asperellum, Lecanicillium spp., and Metacordyceps chla...

Early blight disease is one of the serious diseases of tomato caused by Alternaria solani. In some instances, annual economic yield loss due to this disease was estimated at 80%. Currently, pesticide applications are used for the management of early blight disease due to the lack of resistant cultivars. The effect of treatment of the susceptible to...

Rhizoctonia solani poses a significant threat to tomato, melon, and watermelon causing damping-off disease. This study evaluated the pathogenicity of various R. solani isolates (Rs26, Rs94, Rs13, Rs57, and Rs123) and the efficacy of biological agents (Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride, Metarhizium sp., Gliocladium sp.) under laboratory and greenhous...

Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) is an important and valuable fruit because of its unique flavor and economic, nutritional and health benefits. It is one of the most consumed berries worldwide. Grey mould of strawberry fruits, caused by the necrotrophic ascomycete Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr., is one of the most important diseases. This airborne...

Powdery mildew is one of the most important diseases that causes significant economic losses in melon. Chemical fungicides and tolerant melon varieties, which may reduce pathogen severity and encourage positive plant responses, are viable techniques for controlling this disease. The study objectives were to investigate the effectiveness of contact...

Grapevine is an important fruit crop grown in the Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis in south eastern Tunisia. It provides great economic potential for the oasis population due to its higher yield and monetary returns. It, also, has a good nutritional value and is consumed fresh or in dried form. Powdery mildew represents one of the most destructive dise...

Alternaria alternata, responsible for Alternaria leaf spot, is spread worldwide, notably in Iraq. This disease is characterized by lesion formation on the leaves, leading to substantial yield and quality losses in several plant species such as Cucumis melo (melon). Glomus mosseae and Trichoderma harzianum are considered eco-friendly and bio-safe al...

Life on Earth is exposed to a variety of light spectrum from ultraviolet-B to wavelengths, called natural radiation. The electromagnetic spectrum ultraviolet (UV) consists of 3 classes: UV-A (315-400 nm), UV-B (280-315 nm) and UV-C (200-280 nm), with UV-A and UV-B reaching only the surface of the earth. UV radiation affects plants and fungal pathog...

Downy mildew is a common problem in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merill] which grown in field conditions but is rarely seen in greenhouses. Soybean downy mildew, caused by fungus-like organism Peronospora manshurica (Class Oomycetes; Phylum Oomycota), is a widely spread disease and can survive in crop residues and on the seed surfaces. P. manshurica h...

In recent years, the emergence of downy mildew had a significant impact on the production of cucurbits and disease control systems at multiple scales. Downy mildews wreak havoc on vital crops around the world, causing massive production losses. In order to achieve successful disease control, accurate identification and monitoring of these plant pat...

Fusarium wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum is a severe disease of cucumbers causing yield losses worldwide. Various experiments were conducted to assess the antifungal potential of fungal bio-agents isolated from soil and cucumber seed (bio-priming). Trichoderma koningii seemed to be the most effective bio-agent against F...

This research was carried out to assess the potential impacts of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) complex (Glomus geosporum and Rhizophagus irregularis) synergy with poultry manure (PM) on the survival of Cucurbita maxima and Telfairia occidentalis grown under salt stress conditions. This experiment was set up in a completely randomized design wi...

Grapevine is an important fruit crop grown in the Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis in south eastern Tunisia. It provides great economic potential for the oasis population due to its higher yield and monetary returns. It, also, has a good nutritional value and is consumed fresh or in dried form. Powdery mildew represents one of the most destructive dise...

Fungal diversity associated with Bemisia tabaci (Hemip-tera: Aleyrodidae) on cucumber and comparative effectiveness of bioassay methods in identifying the most virulent entomopath-ogenic fungi.-Sydowia 75: 269-282. Bemisia tabaci is a serious pest of cucumber, in Iraq, that reduces the income of farmers by high losses in yield. This study aimed to...

The soil is the main reservoir of bacteria. Their role could be beneficial or not and soil bacteria fulfill both roles and are ubiquitous. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between physicochemical soils properties (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), water content (WC), organic matter (OM), Dry matter (DM), Nitrogen (N)...

Fusarium dry rot (Fusarium solani) and Pythium aqueous rot (Pythium ultimum) are important post-harvest diseases responsible annually for regrettable qualitative and quantitative losses during potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) storage. Processing waste of citrus fruits is considered an eco-friendly and bio-safe alternative to traditional agro-chemicals...

Cucurbits are one of the most valuable vegetable crops worldwide, and a large number of annual species are under cultivation. Plant pathogens challenge our efforts to maximize crop production. More than 200 known pathogens are infecting various cucurbits. Fungi, bacteria and other pathogens attack different parts of cucurbitaceous plants, causing d...

Peach leaf curl is caused by Taphrina deformans, a biotrophic parasitic fungus. About 90% of the peach acres are treated for this destructive disease. Leaves produced in the spring are deformed, thickened, curled, and colored red or yellow instead of normal green. Severely affected shoots die. Irregular reddish lesions are sometimes seen on the fru...

Among the fungal diseases affecting tomato crops, early blight caused by Alternaria solani Ellis and Martin is considered as one of the most devastating disease leading to an accountable losses. Early blight shows up as leaf blight on the lower part of plants. The disease moves upward, and by early to midsummer , early blight has caused a "firing-u...

Charcoal rot of cucurbits is a serious disease spreading all around the world. Therefore, this technical document summarizes the current knowledge of cucurbits charcoal rot disease epidemiology, symptoms and signs, disease cycle, ecology and disease management strategies. Charcoal rot disease is caused by the pathogenic fungus Macrophomina phaseoli...

The Gabes oasis in the southeastern Tunisia is particularly important as it represents a unique coastal oases in the Mediterranean and the world. Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis, with an area of approximately 100 ha, was chosen for this study (2018–2019). Aiming to effectively manage and protect the biodiversity of this coastal oasis, the cultivated v...

Eggplant, an important vegetable crop in Iraq, faces yield losses due to early blight disease caused by Alternaria solani. Two antagonistic fungi (Aspergillus niger and Purpureocillium lilacinum) isolated from eggplant rhizosphere were tested in vitro (dual confrontation technique) and in vivo (preventive treatments) as potential bioagents against...

Downy mildew is a common problem in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merill] which grown in field conditions but is rarely seen in greenhouses. Soybean downy mildew, caused by fungus-like organism Peronospora manshurica (Class Oomycetes; Phylum Oomycota), is a widely spread disease and can survive in crop residues and on the seed surfaces. P. manshurica h...

Downy mildew is a common problem in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merill] which grown in field conditions but is rarely seen in greenhouses. Soybean downy mildew, caused by fungus-like organism Peronospora manshurica (Class Oomycetes; Phylum Oomycota), is a widely spread disease and can survive in crop residues and on the seed surfaces. P. manshurica h...

Mint plants (Mentha spp.) which belong to the family: Lamiaceae is one of the common vegetable crops which planted in different countries around the world. It's an important food source in addition to its medicinal and industrial uses. It was infected by many fungal diseases including rust disease which caused by the obligate parasite fungus Puccin...

Alternaria solani, causal agent of eggplant early blight, is an important airborne pathogen responsible annually of regrettable losses and reduction in total yield. Fungicide treatments are widely used being the most effective for controlling this disease. It is well acknowledged that the prolonged use of fungicides often causes health risks to hum...

Abdelhak Rhouma, Yehya A. Salih, Khaled Atallaoui and Mohammad Imad Khrieba 2021. Technical document on powdery mildew and anthracnose of Mentha spp. Asian Journal of Plant and Soil Sciences, 6(1): 39-45 (Indexed in Publons, Google Scholar, etc.). https://www.ikprress.org/index.php/AJOPSS/article/view/6967 Mentha spp. (locally named mint or spearmi...

Mentha spp. (locally named mint or spearmint) is an important widespread vegetable crop in different countries around the world. It was infected by many fungal diseases including powdery mildew and anthracnose. Powdery mildew is an important and serious fungal disease on Mentha spp. caused by the fungus Golovinomyces biocellatus (Formerly Erysiphe...

The eggplant production has gone through increasing difficulties due to relatively low yields in the last few years in Iraq. Alternaria solani, the causal agent of eggplant early blight; attacks hybrid and local varieties either in open field or in the greenhouse, causing a serious damage that led to decrease in crop yield. The strategies employed...

Several pathogens fungi responsible for total yield losses are worldwide spread notably in Iraq. The alternatives strategies to decrease disease development are those able to destruct a total or partial population density using eco-friendly approach treatments. In this investigation, we demonstrate the symbiotic interaction with Trichoderma koningi...

Alternaria solani responsible for early blight of eggplant is a worldwide spread notably in Iraq. The use of biological control agents represents the best alternative and eco-friendly approach. Two soil-borne fungal (Paecilomyces lilacinus and Trichoderma harzianum) were tested in laboratory conditions using the dual confrontation technique at diff...

Recently, a wide range of symptoms including light yellow lesions gradually turning into brown stripes were noticed on date palm leaves in Iraq. In this context, the aim of this study were to isolate the phytopathogens associated with these symptoms, evaluate their pathogenicity and assess the efficacy of two fungicides (Score and Pentanol) under i...

In this study, nine fungal species belonging to genus Aspergillus (6) and Penicillium (3), which were found on whiteflies cadavers adults collected from cucumber cultivation fields in Basra Iraq, are characterized regarding mycelial growth rate at different culture media, pH levels and temperature degrees, and their sensitivity under in vitro assay...

The Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis has natural assets that have led to the development of various human activities in this oasis. However, this oasis currently suffers from overpressures on natural and human resources. Therefore, the condition of this oasis was assessed based on an investigation of and discussions with 100 farmers as well as study re...

The objective of this study was to isolate and identify the pathogen cause yellowing and Spotting of the detached leaves of date palm and efficiency of Chemical Pesticides to control Spotting and Yellowing of Palm Tissues. The isolation and identification results showed presence of Fusarium spp. and Alternaria fungus from infected roots of infected...

L'explosion démographique constitue un phénomène majeur à l'échelle de notre planète. Ainsi, la centralisation des populations en croissance dans les villes rend l'environnement un enjeu de plus en plus sensible. En effet, on prévoit que la population mondiale actuelle (7,2 milliards) devrait augmenter pour atteindre 8,1 milliards en 2025 et 9,6 mi...

Monosporascus cannonballus responsible for cucurbits Monosporascus root rot and vine decline, is worldwide spread notably in Tunisia. The most appropriate strategies to suppress disease development are those able to reduce the ascospores population using eco-friendly approach treatments. Seven soilborne fungal isolates were tested in vitro (by dual...

Monosporascus cannonballus is a prominent soil-borne pathogen in the principal Tunisian cucurbits growing areas. One experimental field, was chosen for this study at three growing seasons (A: 2009/10; B: 2010/11 and C: 2013/14), located in the High Institute of Agronomy Chott Meriem (Sousse, Tunisia). The aim of this investigation was to assess the...

Background and aim: The soil is rich of microorganisms that could be beneficial or pathogens and soil fungi fulfill both roles and are ubiquitous. Some soil fungi are potential pathogen to both plants and other organisms. These pathogens are responsible of reduced production, disease or death of plants. Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeospo...

Soil mycoflora analysis from cucurbits showed remarkable diversity A total of 180 soil samples were collected from experimental field treated with four doses of organic amendments (0, 20, 40, 60 tons per hectare) and cultivated by five cucurbits (watermelon, grafted watermelon, muskmelon, grafted muskmelon and squash) to determining number of soil-...

In an attempt to develop an alternative strategy, it is interesting to assess the best method of fungicide application, the position of the leaflets treated and the effect of a reduced dose on the infection level. Two fungicides, Ridomil Gold ® and Copper Nordox ® were evaluated to control mildew infection caused by Phytophthora infestans on potato...

En Tunisie, avec les pertes de production dans certaines régions cultivées en cucurbitacées, la lutte contre le dépérissement des cucurbitacées est devenue une priorité. L’orientation internationale est le développement d’une méthode de lutte intégrée, peu onéreuse et compatible avec les préoccupations environnementale. L’une des approches privilég...

Soil mycoflora analysis from watermelon rhizosphere showed remarkable diversity. The screening revealed the presence of antagonist and pathogenic fungi belonging to 16 species. The highest isolation frequency was for Aspergillus terreus (13.82%), then A. niger (12.59%), A. pseudoelegans (10.81%) and A. flavus (9.88%). According to this work, both m...

Gabés .... Que reste-t-il de cette paradis? Presque rien…

L'oasis de Chott Sidi Abdel Salam est l’unique oasis littorale de la méditerranée et l'un des derniers exemples d'oasis dans le monde. Il s’agit d’une ancienne oasis traditionnelle qui doit son existence à trois ressources naturelles et patrimoniales. Aussi, l’oasis constitue un refuge pour une faune riche en petits mammifères, reptiles, mollusques...

Very few studies of the potential of Hydrogen (pH) of water and sediment wetland at Ramsar site 2076/2012 have been reported in the literature. In this context, a sampling was collected from five sites of Oued El Malah and Tarf El Maa (north of Gabes: south-east of Tunisia). The results showed that the pH complies with national and international re...