Effect of fungal inoculum application on changes in organic matter of leaf litter composting

Abstract

The decomposition of organic matter on leaf litter substrat  runs very slowly in nature resulting in the accumulation of litter in the ecosystem and has even become an organic waste that creates many problems. The research was dealt with the use of lignocellulolytic fungi inoculum consisting of 3 isolates: Aspergillus fumigatus (cellulolytic), A. tubingensis (xylanolytic) and Geotrichium sp (ligninolytic) as starter of leaf litter composting.  The purpose of the study is to understand the pattern of humic-fulvat acid and C/N ratio on the process of composting of leaf litter with the addition of inoculum. Observations were made to the chemical changes of compost for 3, 6 and 9 weeks of composting and the data were analyzed in RM-anova (Repeated Measures of anova).  The result shows the best pattern of humic acid and fulvic  change from the initial to final composting occurs at the Geotrichum sp inoculum of 0.60 or 105.2% and for fulvic are of 0.55 or 56.1% of baseline. The highest ratio value of CHA/CFA at the end of observation was by consortium of  A. fumigatus and A. tubingensis inoculums that was 2.94 and the lowest value was at commercial inoculum that was 0.80; and the sharpest change value also occurred in the consortium A. fumigatus and A. tubingensis inoculums of 2.20 or 297.3%. Therefore the consortium isolates were capable of causing the maturity of the compost most rapidly compared to other isolates.