Exploration of Potential Indigenous Non-phytopathogenic Fungi for Bio-organic Fertilizer Recycling from Organic Waste

Using potential microbes in biodegradable solid waste management is an emerging science. Microbes play a significant role in recycling of organic solid wastes. Therefore, the present project was carried out to isolate indigenous potential non-phytopathogenic fungi from local relevant decomposed substrates for the purpose of organic waste recycling as bio-organic fertilizer (BOF). A total of thirteen fungal strains were isolated. Seven of them were identified as Trichoderma spp., and the rest were Penicillium spp. Germination of mung bean (Vigna radiata), mustard (Brassica campestris), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) seeds were assessed by application of 13 fungal isolate suspensions. Significant increase of germination percent was achieved in mung bean (98.35%), mustard (96.65%), and wheat (93.35%) by fungal treatments RW-T02, PL-P01, and CD-T01/MSW-T05, respectively, compared to the controls. But radicle and plumule lengths were not promoted by fungal treatments in the majority of cases. Significantly, the longest radicle and plumule lengths of mung bean and mustard were found in control treatments. Conversely, in wheat the longest radicle and plumule length were achieved in treatments MSW-T05 and RW-T03, respectively. Based on superior performances of percent germination and radicle/plumule length, six fungal isolates were selected for compatibility performance in mixed cultures. In the compatibility tests, two fungal combinations (ABF and BCE) presented superior mutual intermingle appearances. Perhaps these combinations may play significant roles in biodegradation of organic wastes.