Studies on the physical and chemical characteristics of soil and mycoflora from native desert truffle (Terfezia claveryi) and Helianthemum plant in Golestan province

In this study, soil fungal isolated from Helianthemum ledifolium root and around of desert truffles were identified from ten different regions in Gonbad Kavoos in Golestan province. Desert truffles samples, were identified by morphological and molecular methods. Twenty one species of the fungal belonging to thirteen genera were isolated. Most of the fungal isolates were recovered from soil around desert truffle T. claveryi ascocarps and H. ledifolium rhizosphere respectively. Aspergillus and Fusarium were the predominant species which were isolated from soil around desert truffles. Acremonium, Paecilomyces, Polyschema and Ulocladium species were isolated with least abundance for the first time from desert area of Gonbad. Also Polyschema sclerotigenum was recorded for the first time in Iran. The results of the soil analysis collected from different regions showed that there was little difference in the structure and amount of lime in the soil. Most of the collected desert soil was alkaline, non-saline, with low organic matter, low phosphorus, sand and high lime.Amount of phosphorous was not significantly different in various desert soil samples.