Improving the nutritive value of maize stalks by using pleurotus ostreatus and phanerochaete chryrospoium

ABSTRACT

The ability of fungi [white rot fungi] to degrade the lingocellulosic substrates was initiated. Two strains of white rot fungi namely, Pleurotus ostreatus and Phanerochaete chrysosporium were used to improve the nutritive value of selected agricultural crop residue namely, maize stalks mixed with an agro industrial waste namely, pea nut husk at different ratios 31, 11 and 13, respectively. After pasteurizing mixtures of maize stalks and pea nut husk at the previously mentioned ratios, they were packed in polyetylene bags then inoculated with two strains of white rot fungi [Pleurotus ostreatus and Phanerochaete chrysosporium] and incubated for 30 days at 28 degree sign C and 35 degree sign C, respectively, using solid state fermentation technique. Results showed that maize stalks and pea nut husk with a ratio of 31 decreased lignin content from 10.90 to 100.30% and 7.00%, and increased protein value from 9.75 to 11.73%, and from 11.00 to 13.04%, when combined mixture were treated with Pleurotus ostreatus and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, respectively