Enhancement of Wheat Cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) by Cellulase-Treated Plant Wastes

The production of agricultural wastes is problematic. Without proper disposal, many aspects of the environment may be affected by these wastes. This study attempted to harness rice straw and sugar cane bagasse wastes for the enhancement of Triticum aestivum cultivation through cellulase production by the fungus Aspergillus niger. The FPase and CMCase activities (representing the cellulytic activity) of A. niger were found to be enhanced until the fifth day of incubation. The maxima of the FPase and CMCase activities were 89.0 ± 2.0 and 3.3 ± 0.4 U mL−1 for the rice straw; and 91.0 ± 2.1 and 4.1 ± 0.4 U mL−1 for the sugar cane bagasse, respectively. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of cellulase-digested wastes on the growth and biochemical constituents of wheat cultivars. The plant height, fresh weight, and pigment constitution of wheat cultivars were enhanced compared to sand soil and compost fertilized soil treatments. Moreover, the total soluble carbohydrate, nitrogen and phosphorus contents of T. aestivum shoots showed promising results using these wastes. Our results show that rice straw and sugar cane bagasse can be suitable substrates for wheat cultivation.