A sawdust-derived soil conditioner promotes plant growth and improves water-holding capacity of different types of soils

Abstract

Sawdust, a bulky waste generated by wood processing industries, has very few profitable and ecofriendly uses and poses a problem of proper disposal. Treatment with the fungus Volvariella volvaceae and a dilute solution of urea converted sawdust from a phytoinhibitory material to a phytostimulatory soil conditioner. In different types of soils, the soil conditioner increased the moisture retention and facilitated the cohesive interaction of particles. Analyses of the major biopolymers of sawdust after fungal treatment indicated that levels of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin decreased; however, these changes did not account for the plant growth stimulatory property attained by this material.