Articles
FUNGAL SUCCESSION DURING COMPOSTING OF MISCANTHUS STRAW AND PIG SLURRY
Article number
549_3
Pages
37 – 46
Language
English
Abstract
Shredded straw of Miscanthus and pig slurry as a nitrogen source was composted in well-insulated containers.
During eight months of composting samples were taken for fungal analysis, using the soil washing technique.
Two mm pieces of straw were placed on agar medium and incubated at 24 and 45°C. The fungal community present before peak heating changed with changes in temperature.
Dominating fungi were: Penicillium spp., Absidia spp., Trichurus spiralis, and Trichoderma spp. when incubated at 24°C, while Aspergillus fumigatus and Rhizomucor pusillus dominated at 45°C. Fungi developing after peak heating can be divided into two groups on basis of principal component analysis (PCA): one appearing from day 15 to 27, and another from day 50 to 225. The first group was dominated by the thermophilic and thermotolerant species Thermomyces lanuginosus, Scytalidium thermophilum and Paecilomyces variotii, and the second group by Trichurus spiralis, Pseudallescheria boydii, and Acremonium sp., when incubated at 24°C, and Thermomyces lanuginosus at 45°C. The Brillouin diversity index changed with temperature: diversity was high before peak heating, low during elevated temperature, and increasing again during the third phase of composting.
These results show that temperature was the main parameter controlling changes in the fungal community during the first month of composting.
When the temperature reached ambient level, only minor changes in fungal community were detected using PCA, although changes in the presence of certain species were observed.
During eight months of composting samples were taken for fungal analysis, using the soil washing technique.
Two mm pieces of straw were placed on agar medium and incubated at 24 and 45°C. The fungal community present before peak heating changed with changes in temperature.
Dominating fungi were: Penicillium spp., Absidia spp., Trichurus spiralis, and Trichoderma spp. when incubated at 24°C, while Aspergillus fumigatus and Rhizomucor pusillus dominated at 45°C. Fungi developing after peak heating can be divided into two groups on basis of principal component analysis (PCA): one appearing from day 15 to 27, and another from day 50 to 225. The first group was dominated by the thermophilic and thermotolerant species Thermomyces lanuginosus, Scytalidium thermophilum and Paecilomyces variotii, and the second group by Trichurus spiralis, Pseudallescheria boydii, and Acremonium sp., when incubated at 24°C, and Thermomyces lanuginosus at 45°C. The Brillouin diversity index changed with temperature: diversity was high before peak heating, low during elevated temperature, and increasing again during the third phase of composting.
These results show that temperature was the main parameter controlling changes in the fungal community during the first month of composting.
When the temperature reached ambient level, only minor changes in fungal community were detected using PCA, although changes in the presence of certain species were observed.
Authors
M. Klamer, A.M. Lind, W. Gams
Keywords
Aspergillus fumigatus, Coprinus cinereus, fungal community, Miscanthus x ogiformis (“Giganteus”), Pseudallescheria boydii, Scedosporium apiospermum, Trichoderma spp., Trichurus spiralis.
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