Isolation of bacterial strains capable of degrading sugarcane leaf biomass

Abstract

Sugarcane is an important economic crop both globally and in Thailand. After the harvest season, farmers often burn sugarcane fields because it facilitates easier management, reduces labor requirements, and lowers production costs. However, this practice has several adverse effects, including air pollution, loss of soil moisture, destruction of soil microorganisms and fauna, and soil degradation, which negatively impacts the growth of ratoon crops. Therefore, the objective of this study was to isolate cellulase-producing bacteria from soils in both old and newly cultivated sugarcane fields, as well as from agricultural residues (sugarcane leaves and bagasse). From this study, a total of 24 bacterial isolates capable of producing cellulase enzymes were obtained by assessing their cellulose-degrading ability, indicated by the formation of clear zones on carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) agar plates. Among these, 10 isolates showing the highest cellulase activity were selected: TOA102, TOE104, TOB201, TOB204, TOB205, TOB206, TOC202, TLA203, TLC202, and TLC204. The diameters of the clear zones produced by these isolates were 4.01, 2.66, 2.51, 3.23, 3.08, 2.52, 2.53, 2.50, 2.50, and 2.50 centimeters, respectively.