Characteristics and selection of efficient lignocellulose degradation microbial community

Soil acidification or alkalization has been a serious global environmental problem. It has not only caused huge losses of agricultural production, but also has been a seriously threat to ecological environment. Therefore, a simple and effective soil improvement method was critical for environmental protection and agricultural production. A group of lignocellulose microbial community was selected from soil samples of cattle and chicken feces compost. The selection was based on restrictive training in an effort to get a group of microbial population with the potential to improve soil acidity and alkalinity. The ability of the microbial system adapting to different initial pH, fiber degradation and salt-tolerance was investigated as well. The results suggested that the pH of culture medium (utilized filter paper, corn straw, rice straw and wheat straw as carbon limiting source) changed sharply and tended towards neutrality when inoculated in a wide pH range (pH of 5.0~11.0) within 6 days. The rates of weight loss of filter paper, corn straw, rice straw and wheat straw respectively exceeded 93.15%, 50.53%, 44.29% and 42.60% within 7 days of cultivation. When filter paper was used as the sole carbon source at 2.0% salt stress, the rate of weight loss was 84.82% after 7 days of cultivation. This suggested that lignocellulose degradation microbial community had the capability to adapt and regulate pH and effectively degrade lignocellulose materials under culture conditions. Additionally, the microbial community had certain degree of salt resistance. Therefore lignocellulose microbial community had the potential to improve soil acidity and alkalinity.