Acceleration of decomposition of Municipal Solid Waste through solid state fermentation and subsequent vermicomposting

Most of the organic material consists of macromolecules which as such can not penetrate the cell membrane, therefore, micro-organisms excrete enzymes which degrade the polymers to simplest forms. Starch, pectins, chitin and nucleic acids are degraded by appropriate exoenzymes rapidly. In contrast, breakdown of lignocellulose is very slow. Bacteria, actinomycetes and various groups of fungi carry out lignin degradation. White rot fungi are the most promising lignin degraders among all the micro-organisms while ascomycetes viz. Trichoderma and others have been recognized as suitable bioinoculants for cellulose degradation. Earthworms play a major role in waste degradation - hey not only accelerate the organic waste decomposition process but also improve the quality of compost. The present paper deals with exploitation of the bioinoculants in combination as well as separately for different periods with subsequent vermicomposting with Eisenia foetida for different period. The compost samples were collected at regular intervals of time and were subjected to physico-chemical analysis. Interactions of these microflora with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on Morus alba were studied.

• 1 INTRODUCTION

• 2 METHODOLOGY

• 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

• 4 REFERENCES