PRESSMUD, A UGNOCELLULOSIC WASTE AS POTENTIAL CARRIER FOR IN-SITU PRODUCTION OF PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING SUBSTANCES BY BACILLUS CIRCULANS

摘要

Different lignocellulosic wastes are generated in agroindustries, viz., peanut shells in peanut industries; corn cob in maize industries; paddy husk in rice milling industries; pressmud in sugar industries and sawdust in sawmills. These lignocellulosic wastes are either disposed offin the landfills or burnt. There is increasing trend towards conversion of lignocellulosic wastes into value-added products. Such carriers are renewable and facilitate in-vitro production of plant growth promoting substances. The solid state fermentation was carried out in pressmudbased carrier using Bacillus circulans. The leachate from solid state fermentation was analyzed for plant growth promoting traits, antifungal activity and the effect of fermented broth grown on pressmud was studied on plant growth. The gibberellins production was high on 14thday in the pressmud fermented broth which was 11.60 μg ml–1. The phosphate solubilization and phytase production was more on 14th day with relative activity 2.60 and 4.14 respectively. The NH4+ production was more on 3rd day whichwas 67.20 ppm. The leachate from solid state fermentation using pressmud inoculated with Bacillus circulans did not show any antifungal activity against the fungal phytopathogens. Significant increase was found in the root length of jowar and bajra plants. The study showed that productionof plant growth promoting substances in the solid state fermentation is possible.