Drought become the foremost abiotic stress limiting plant growth and leading to crop-yield loss. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of native arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and cellulolytic fungi (CF) on the growth, yield, mycorrhizal colonization, and the phosphorous (P) and proline contents of maize under drought. This study was conducted using a 3 x 3 factorial arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications The treatments were inoculation of native AM fungi (no AM fungi, Acaulospora tuberculata, and Gigaspora cf. gigantea) and native celluloltic fungi (no CF, Talaromyces pinophilus strain MR107 and Talaromyces pinophilus isolate OK3SP103P) evaluated under 50% field capacity (FC). Our results clearly indicated that increasing plant height, plant diameter, mycorrhizal colonization, and P content and decreasing proline content were affected either by native AM or cellulolytic fungi, but dry weight of 100-grain was only increased by native cellulolytic fungi. Combined inoculation of native AM and cellulolytic fungi improved P content and mycorrhizal colonization. Gi. cf. gigantea and T. pinophilus strain MR107 were more potential native inoculants to eliminate negative effect of water stress on maize.

Cellulolytic fungi have an important role in regulating plant nutrition to sustain plant productivity. This study was aimed to characterize and test the pathogenicity of cellulolytic fungi isolated from the dry land of Aceh as a candidate for biofertilizer. A total of 30 isolates was characterized by their cellulolytic and phosphatase activity semi-quantitatively. The cellulolytic activities on amorph and crystalline cellulose were determined on the Mandel medium with CMC and Avicell as carbon sources respectively while phosphatase was observed on the Pikovskaya medium. The pathogenicity test of the potential isolates on maize, rice, and soybean was determined by the Knop’s medium slants method. The results show that isolates with the ability to degrade amorph cellulose were more (93.33%) than crystalline (86.67%) and 80% isolates had activities on both cellulose types. Beside cellulolytic, most isolates (93.33 %) also had phosphatase activity. There were 23 isolates whose cellulolytic and phosphatase activities, five isolates were non-pathogenic on maize, rice, and soybean, two isolates on maize and rice, and one isolate on rice. These results indicate that the indigenous cellulolytic fungi from the dry land of Aceh were potential to be developed as biofertilizers in the cultivation of maize, rice, and/or soybean.

Chromolaena odorata is an invasive plant that potentially organic manure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of this weed on plant nutrient uptake and soil nutrient status on the mustard rhizosphere using a completely randomized block design and three replications. Factors examined were the organic manure types (green manure and compost) and doses (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 Mg ha−1). The results showed that the compost was more effective than the green manure to improve potassium (K) uptake and soil nutrient (total nitrogen (N), available phosphor (P), and exchangeable K). Increasing doses of the organic manure until 25 mg ha−1 gave a better effect on N and K uptake and soil available P and exch. K but 20 Mg ha−1 on soil total N. The application of 25 mg ha−1 C. odorata as green manure gave more N and K content in the mustard. At the same time, 20 mg ha−1 compost increased soil available P. This study indicated that C. odorata could be developed as a good ameliorant either as green manure or compost to improve nutrient uptake mustard and soil nutrient status.

Cellulolytic fungi are involved in releasing nutrients from organic sources. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of cellulolytic fungi on the total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P), and total potassium (K) contents in different organic fertilizers. This study was arranged in randomized block design 3 X 3 with three replications. There were two factors, cellulolytic fungi (Talaromyces pinophilus strain MR107, Penicillium sp. isolate SR18, and Purpureocillium lilacinum isolate PIGD23i) and organic fertilizers (cow manure, compost, and vermicompost). The results indicated that Penicillium sp. isolate SR18 had a better effect than other cellulolytic fungi species on tot. N, tot. P and tot. K contents of cow manure; tot. N and tot. K contents of compost; and tot. P content of vermicompost while P. lilacinum isolate PIGD23i showed a better effect on tot. N and tot. K contents of vermicompost. The highest tot. N, and tot. K contents were found in P. lilacinum isolate PIGD23i-inoculated vermicompost while the tot. P content was in Penicillium sp. isolate SR18-inoculated vermicompost. Overall, adding cellulolytic fungi is an alternative way to improve the nutrient content of organic fertilizer.