Abstract 336

Gupta,-VK; Prasad,-KS; Bakshi,-MPS; Langar,-PN

Dep. Animal Science, Punjab Agricultural Univ., Ludhiana 141004, India.

Agricultural-Wastes. 1986, 16: 3, 161-169; 22 ref.

Out of 11 different fungi inoculated into short-time acid-pretreated groundnut shells (GNS), only 3 fungal species, Coprinus, Sclerotium and Sporotrichum pulvurentum, resulted in true protein content increase, up to 10%, in the substrate. Trials with the 3 fungi on extended-acid and/or steam-penetrated GNS substrate did not result in further increase in the true protein content. The results obtained for Coprinus sp. suggested that, for the effective proliferation of this fungus on GNS, no pretreatment other than addition of inorganic nitrogen to the substrate was required. The organic matter (OM) digestibility in vitro of Sclerotium and S. pulvurentuminoculated GNS was similar to that of the respective pretreated GNS controls. However, significant improvements in OM digestibilities in the Coprinus sp.-inoculated substrates was observed. Within the Coprinus GNS substrates the differences were not significant. The results suggested that Coprinus sp. is a potential fungus for improving the nutritive value of GNS.