Nitrogen Amendment Enhances Edible White Rot Fungal Growth and Biodegradation of Containerized Inedible Crop Residues

Abstract

Edible white rot fungi have been proposed for selective plant biomass transformation and recycling in a sustainable advanced life support (ALS) ecology needed for extraterrestrial expeditions, such as the mission to Mars. Food waste slurry was incorporated into artificial fungal culture media to test for strain tolerance, while urea and food waste were amended in processed wheat and rice straw, as sources of N, to enhance fungal growth, biodegradation, and recycling of the crop wastes. Mycelial growth in food waste-amended artificial culture media decreased with an increase in food waste concentration, while tolerance to high food waste concentration under these conditions was species dependent. Pleurotus ostreatus ""Grey Dove"" and P. pulmonarius were most efficient in degradation when food waste was supplemented at 80% (v/v) in wheat straw. However, when both species were cocultured, addition of food waste to wheat straw did not improve degradation efficiency. Mycelial growth and colonization of P. cornucopiae "Golden Oyster" was enhanced in food waste-amended rice straw compared to growth in the control. Basidiocarp production occurred only in the amended media; however, the quantity of fruit bodies decreased with increased concentration of food waste in the amended rice straw. Enriching wheat straw with urea stimulated fruiting only in "Grey Dove" at 50-60 days after inoculation. P. ostreatus "Blue Dolphin" did not fruit in amended wheat straw despite prolific mycelial colonization of the substrate. Amending inedible crop residues with organic or mineral N at predetermined rates may enhance edible white rot fungal biodegradation of the lignocellulosic residues if tolerant strains are used.

Description:6 pages

Keywords

Basidiocarp, Biodegradation, Inedible crop residue, White rot fungi

Date of this Version

January 2007

Identifier

ALS-NSCORT:p65

Publisher Identifier:

Habitation, 11 (3), 133-138

Publisher

Cognizant Communication Corporation

ALS NSCORT Project Number

Project 12 - Fungi for Crop Waste Degradation/Edible Mushroom Production

Project Lead

Caula A. Beyl

Language

English

ALS NSCORT Series

Published Materials

Administrative Contact

Dave Kotterman, dkotter@purdue.edu

Rights

Copyright 2007 Cognizant Communication Corporation. For more information please visit the publisher's website at: http://www.cognizantcommunication.com

Access

This article is not available through e-pubs. Purdue Libraries have a hard copy of the journal in the Engineering Library (Call Number: 629.47705 H114).

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS