Endophytic fungi in leaves of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill

Endophytic fungi were isolated from healthy tomato leaves from field-grown plants. Several surface-sterilization techniques were assayed for removing and killing epiphytes on tomato leaves. Surface-sterilization with an undil uted commercial solution of sodium hypochlorite was employed. To determine the spectrum of endophytes, samples were collected in February 1998 and 199 9 from tomato plants (cultivar Tommy) cultivated in the experimental fields of Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In general, different spectra of species we re isolated in 1998 and 1999. Alternaria alternata was the fungus most freq uently isolated from tomato leaves in 1999, but it was the second most comm on species in 1998. In contrast, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was the fun gus most frequently isolated in 1998, but it was not found in 1999. Species of other genera, such as Cladosporium and Penicillium, were isolated in bo th years.