Nutritional improvement of oil palm and sugarcane plantation waste by solid-state fermentation of Marasmiellus palmivorus

Abstract

The agricultural sector of Indonesia comprises large oil palm and sugarcane plantations. Nearly 50% of the material resulted in organic waste with high lignin and cellulose content during palm oil and sugarcane production. The lignocellulolytic activity of white-rot fungi has been reported to improve the digestibility and nutrient content of plantation waste into feedstock. This study treated lignocellulose waste, including palm kernel meal, oil palm empty fruit bunch, oil palm frond, sugarcane tops, and sugarcane pressmud with white-rot fungi solid-state fermentation system in a petri dish with two replicates. The growth of the fungus in each waste was observed. The Nutrient content, including water, ash, lipid, protein, crude fiber; and the digestibility, including crude and organic fiber digestion of fermented and unfermented waste, were measured. The molecular identification of white-rot fungi in this study was revealed to be Marasmiellus palmivorus. The result indicated that fermentation of M. palmivorus increased the protein level of sugarcane pressmud, palm kernel meal, oil palm frond, and empty fruit bunch. Fermentation also improved digestibility up to 12%. It is concluded that M. palmivorus has a high potential to enhance the digestibility and nutritive value of lignocellulose waste in oil palm and sugarcane plantations.