Dados do Trabalho

Título

CHARACTERISATION OF FUSARIUM AND TRICHODERMA FUNGI STRAINS ISOLATED FROM KITCHEN WASTE COMPOSTING PILES

Resumo

With the growing of the global population, the issue of kitchen waste treatment is becoming essential. As the composting process is being widely used as a sustainable method, it is important to explore the potential of the microorganisms that are responsible for the decomposition processes.  The goal of this study was to characterize 11 filamentous fungi strains isolated from kitchen waste composting piles in Brasília, Brazil. The capacity to solubilize zinc was tested by growing the strains in ZnO solid medium to observe the formation of clear halo zones indicating the Zn solubilisation. The production of NH3 was assessed by a colour formation test using the addition of Nessler’s reagent in the liquid culture supernatant. Finally, the ability to produce catalase was tested by the addition of a 3% H2O2 solution directly to the colonies in order to observe the production of oxygen bubbles. It was observed that the strain of Fusarium sp. showed the biggest halo in the zinc solubilisation test while the 10 Trichoderma sp. strains did not form a consistent halo or did not show any visible sign of solubilisation. In the meantime, all the Trichoderma sp. strains were positive for the catalase production while the Fusarium sp. isolate was the only strain that did not produce the enzyme tested. Regarding the NH3 test, all the strains exhibited NH3-producing abilities. These results highlight the multiple metabolic capacities of indigenous fungi from composting piles, indicating the potential use of these strains for agricultural purposes.  

Palavras-chave

Compost; Fungi; Enzyme activity; Biofertiliser

Instituição financiadora

Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal - FAP DF