Effect of Soil Salinity on Decomposition and Humification of Organic Matter by Some Cellulolytic Fungi

The effects of artificially salinized soil on the activities of five cellulolytic fungi, namely Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus terreus, Chaetomium globosum, Curvularia lunata and Drechslera australiensis, have been studied under sterilized-soil conditions. The results were also compared with unsterilized treatment. The results reported here indicate that increasing salinity has an inhibitory effect on the microbial activity of soil as reflected by C02 evolution, cellulase activity and humification of plant residues. However among the fungi tested A. terreus and C. globosum produced maximum humification whereas the latter was most tolerant to soil salinity and also had maximum cellulase activity.