Science and Technology Daily (Reporter Wang Zhuhua and Intern Qu Yizhen) On May 8, Science and Technology Daily reporter learned from Hainan University that Liu Tong's team from School of Plant Protection revealed the fermentation mechanism of trichoderma degrading cassava peel residues. The relevant research findings have been published in Industrial Crops and Products, the international authoritative academic journal.

Trichoderma is an important bioprophylactic fungus. Cost-effective fermentation raw materials are the basis for large-scale production of trichoderma spore powder. The person in charge of the team introduced that the team found in the early stages of screening from five kinds of agricultural waste suitable for the production of trichoderma fermentation substrate, including coconut shells, banana pseudostem, cassava peels, bagasse, and pineapple peels, that trichoderma grows the fastest on mycelium in cassava peels with the highest yield of spores.

In previous studies, the team found that trichoderma T069 can produce high-level trichoderma spore powder with solid fermentation of cassava peel residue, which can be used for plant disease control. However, the researchers did not know much about the mechanism of this solid fermentation process.

In this study of the mechanism of cassava peel degradation by trichoderma, in order to link the hydrolytic enzyme system of trichoderma to the degree of degradation of cassava peels, the team determined the changes in the extracellular proteome of trichoderma, the degree of cassava peel degradation, and the concentration of post-compositional sugar species throughout the fermentation process, to jointly explain this dynamic degradation process.

The team found that trichoderma T069 mainly produces hemicellulase, lignin-degrading enzyme and pectinase in the early stage of fermentation, while amylase and cellulase in the later stage. These hydrolytic enzymes interact with cassava peel residue, so that the main constituents of the cassava peel residue are degraded into oligosaccharide. It was also found that trichoderma T069 produced abundant carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes and interesting modes of sugar conversion during fermentation.

At present, the team is carrying out the research and development of microbial preparations of companion type, multifunctional symbiosis type and different functional types of trichoderma, and promoting the new model of "micro-factory for producing microbial preparations by using agricultural wastes", so as to promote the development of green agriculture in China.