Effect of microbial inoculum with high lignocellulose degradation ability on composting process

Microbial inoculum that is made up of composite bacterial system capable of lignocellulose degradation was applied in composting system composed of cattle manure, chicken manure, and wheat straw for a period of 63 days. Fermentation parameters were analyzed and microbial community succession was detected with methods of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE) and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism(T-RFLP) during composting process. The results show that the differences of temperature, moisture, and pH value between inoculated treatment and non-inoculated treatment were insignificant during composting process. Degradation ratios of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin under inoculated treatment were 4.3%, 3.0% and 3.4% higher than those under non-inoculated treatment, respectively. The C/N ratio of compost material at different fermentation phases under inoculated treatment was lower than that under non-inoculated treatment. Ureibacillus thermosphaericu, Pseudoxanthomonas taiwanensis, Tepidiphilus margaritifer, Rhizobiaceae str. M100, C. thermobutyricum and Bacillus thermoamylovorans, which are the ingredients of composite bacterial system, were detected with methods of DGGE at later phase during composting process. Moreover, band numbers of DGGE figure under inoculated treatment were fewer than those under non-inoculated treatment, but band density of DGGE figure under inoculated treatment was denser than that under inoculated treatment. Microbial diversity under inoculated treatment was fewer than that under non-inoculated treatment proved by DGGE and T-RFLP. Composting process was improved by microbial inoculum.