VALORIZATION OF LEAF LITTER BY LIGNINOLYTIC FUNGI FROMTERMITE GARDENV. Gomathi and J. Kavitha MaryAbstract The present study was focused on three indigenous litter dwelling ligninolytic fungi viz., Termitomyces sp.,Streptomyces spp, and Xylaria sp. from the fungal comb of termite garden were selected to study theirefficiency in decomposing leaf litter. Three different leaf littersuch assapota, mango, and guava dried leavesfrom orchards were used as the solid substrates to determine the efficiency of selected potential ligninolyticfungal strains to decompose them.Under in vitroconditions, the culture grows at 30-320C, pH 7.1 after 48 h,a clear zone was observed by the Congo Red plate method. The compost pile was supplemented with anisolated microbial consortium with 50-60 % moisture levels for 90 days to get maturity. The activity ofligninolytic cellulose(110 -240 μg g-1day-1) was observed higher in Termitomyces, whereasamylase inStreptomycesspp (950- 1370 μg g-1 day-1) and dehydrogenase in Xylaria (540-880 μg g-1day-1). |