Assessment of Bacteria, Fungi and Protozoa in Three Theobroma Cacao Soils in Ondo State, Nigeria

The microbial community of 3 cocoa soils in Ondo State, Nigeria was investigated. Fourteen bacterial isolates, 8 fungi and 9 protozoa were obtained. The bacteria include Actinomyces sp., Bacillus spp, Corynebacterium sp., Lactobacillus sp., Micrococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp. and Streptomyces sp. The fungi were Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Fusarium sp., Penicillium sp., Phytopthora palmivora, Phytophthora spp., Rhizopus sp., Saccharomyces sp., Trichoderma spp. and Alternaria sp., while the protozoa include Balantiophorus, Biomyxa spp, Bodo spp, Colpoda spp, Tetramitus spp, Naegleria spp and Uroleptus spp. Differences in population of the microorganisms in the 3 soils might be due to environmental factors of the fields, and this might account for the quantity and species of microorganisms obtained. The determination microorganism in cocoa fields is crucial as it may be exploited for the control of black pod disease, which is presently one of the most important diseases affecting cocoa production in south western Nigeria.Read Complete Article at ijSciences: V4201507768 AND DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18483/ijSci.768