Bioconversion of lignocellulosic waste through the cultivation of Pleurotus eryngii and its potential as organic fertilizer

Abstract

The evaluation in this study demonstrated the bioconversion capacity of the fungus Pleurotus eryngii on three lignocellulosic residues (corn stover, rice straw, and peanut shells) and its potential use as organic fertilizer. A completely randomized design was used with four treatments, four replicates, and two units per replicate, totaling 32 experimental units. The treatments were: T1 (100% corn stover + P. eryngii), T2 (100% rice straw + P. eryngii), T3 (100% peanut shells + P. eryngii), and T4 (a mixture of 33.33% of each residue + P. eryngii). The FMS process was carried out over 45 days. The variables evaluated were biodegradation rate, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) content, organic matter, and initial and final pH. The statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p ? 0.05). The results reveal that T1 exhibits the highest biodegradation rate (45.25%) and the highest nitrogen (0.50%), phosphorus (0.10%), and potassium (0.75%) contents. In contrast, the N and P values did not reach the minimum levels established for high-quality organic fertilizers (1% N and 0.15% P), due to the fact that the bioconversion time was 45 days. T3 recorded the highest organic matter content (39%). The final pH ranged from 6.51 to 7.31, within the optimal range for agricultural application. It is concluded that P. eryngii is effective for biodegrading agricultural waste, although a longer solid-state fermentation time or supplementation with other wastes is required to obtain an optimal biofertilizer.