Investigating the decomposition of crop residues using woodborn and soilborn saprophytic fungi

Investigating the decomposition of crop residues using woodborn and soilborn saprophytic fungi This experiment was conduceted to evaluate the effect of some fungi on decomposition of crop residues. Crop residues from rice, wheat, cotton, canola and soybean were inoculated with Pleurotus ostreatus, Phanerochaete chrysoporium, Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma viride in vitro. After 30 days, hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, nitrogen and inorganic carbon were measured in both treated and control samples. The greatest growth rate and establishment occurred for P. ostreatus and these parameters declined for T. viride, A. niger and P. chrysoporium in the written sequence. The rate of fungi establishment after 5 days on different substrata was greatest for soybean and it decreased on cotton, canola, wheat and rice residues. In all residues, hemicellulose was decomposed more than cellulose and lignin. Fungi were also different with respect to their decomposition potentials; maximum hemicellulose decomposition was observed in P. ostreatus with a continuous decline in T. viride, A. niger and P. chrysoporium. Maximum cellulose decomposition occurred by P. ostreatus and T. viride on all substrata except rice. P. ostreatus and P. chrysoporium (Basidiomycota) had the maximum effect on the residue lignin content, while T. viride and A. niger (Ascomycota) had less effect under the same environmental conditions. Results revealed maximum nitrogen mobilization on soybean and rice by A. niger while the minimum one observed on soybean by T. viride, P. ostreatus and P. chrysoporium. Key Word: Plant residuce, C/N, Fungi decomposition.