Fungal diversity in cabbage rhizosphere: A study in Shirpur, Dhule district

Rhizosphere holds thousands of different bacteria specific to the plant species and root zone. There is a good amount of researches on cabbage related diseases and their mitigation strategies but no research has actually analysed fungal diversity in Cabbage rhizosphere. Thus, assessing fungal diversity in the cabbage rhizosphere is crucial for sustainable agriculture, disease management, and soil health. It helps in identifying both beneficial and harmful fungi, leading to better crop management strategies. Thus, the present research studies the fungal diversity and did soil analysis to understand the rhizosphere for cabbage in Shirpur Tehsil, District Dhule, Maharashtra, India. The soil samples of cabbage rhizosphere were collected from 18 villages across Shirpur, Dhule District, Maharashtra, India between 2022-23. The isolation of soil fungi was done via Soil dilution method. Soil analysis suggested adequate water-holding capacity and aeration along with some scope for optimisation of soil for better cabbage growth and yield. A total of ten fungal species were identified. The most dominant fungi were found to be Aspergillus niger. Further, the research found maximum species richness in Kharde region.