Use of Ligninolytic Micro organisms

Problem statement

Feed resources in the tropics are high in fiber and low in digestibility, due mainly to non-polysaccharide components. There is therefore need to increase their feeding values by biological treatments to improve the nutritional quality of these feed resources.

Executive summary

This technology subsumes the use of white-rot; Brown-rot and soft rot fungi. White rot fungi are capable of degrading lignin without affecting much of cellulose and hemicelluloses, while Brown rot fungi preferentially attack cellulose and hemi-cellulose. Soft-rot fungi leaves the attacked lignocellulosic material watery-soft and breaks down cellulose and hemicelluloses.

Technology description

Fungal strains are collected from the surrounding and maintained on solid media (for example Potato Dextrose Agar, Formedium, Hunstanton- UK) and stored at room temperature. The dose of application of fungus to feeds varies. In one such treatment, Montañez-Valdez et al. added 250 g of the Pleurotus djamor strain to a 10 kg of maize stover packed by polyethylene bag. The wheat grain spawn of two Pleurotus fungi including P. florida (PF) and P.ostreatus (PO), are used to inoculate the straw, at the rate of 3.5 kg spawn per 100 kg straw fresh weight basis. The nutritive value of low-quality feeds, which has been widely reported using rape straw, wheat straw, rice straw, and corn Stover and sugarcane bagasse can be greatly enhanced using this technology.

Market deployment considerations

Palatability of feed; acceptability by livestock farmers and scaling up challenges after on-farm trials

Environmental considerations

Identification and culture of safe fungi