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Decomposition of paddy and bajra (Pennisetum typhoideum) straws by fungi commonly found in Allahabad soils

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Proceedings / Indian Academy of Sciences

Summary

The aerobic decomposition of paddy andbajra straws by 22 fungi isolated from Allahabad soils was studied under controlled laboratory conditions. Dawson’s methods were employed with certain modifications. The decomposition was studied by determining the carbon dioxide and ammonia evolution, loss in weight and loss in total amount of carbon during a 7-day period.

The fungi were tested for their oxidase activity and out of 22 fungi only two were found to be oxidase positive.

There is no uniformity in the rates of decomposition by various fungi. In certain cases the amount of carbon dioxide evolved was more than the loss in weight and in other cases the amount of carbon dioxide evolved was less than the loss in weight of the straw. The cellulose equivalent of carbon dioxide evolved was not proportional to the loss in weight.

As a result of decomposition the change in pH of the straw was in some cases towards the acidic side and in other towards the alkaline. Further, the rate of decomposition has no relation either with change in pH of the straw or with the oxidase activity of the fungi.

There was a fair amount of correlation between the total carbon decomposed and the total loss in weight of the straw.

All the 22 fungi behaved similarly towards paddy andbajra straws.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, University of Allahabad, India

    Ravi Prakash & R. K. Saksena

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  1. Ravi Prakash
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  2. R. K. Saksena
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Communicated by Prof. T. S. Sadasivan,f.a.sc.

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Prakash, R., Saksena, R.K. Decomposition of paddy and bajra (Pennisetum typhoideum) straws by fungi commonly found in Allahabad soils. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 36, 119–128 (1952). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03050439

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03050439

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