Pressmud, a by-product of sugarcane processing, is typically disposed of through incineration or landfilling, though it has considerable potential in organic agriculture. This study explored the composting of pressmud through bioaugmentation using specific bacterial strains. Two experimental setups were created: E2 with a cellulolytic and phosphorus-solubilizing strain, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens-ASK11, and E3 with a nitrogen-fixing strain, Bacillus megaterium-ASNF3. A control setup (E1) was also maintained without bacterial augmentation. Results indicated that the Bacillus-enhanced composts in E2 and E3 showed significant increases of 129% and 83% in nitrogen and of 49% and 91% in phosphorus contents, respectively, after 60 days. Additionally, organic matter decomposition improved by 49–50% in the bioaugmented setups after 60 days. FTIR analysis revealed organic phosphate peaks and P-O-C stretching bands at 1025 cm⁻¹ in the E2 compost, while a nitrogen vibration band at 3849 cm⁻¹ in E3 indicated significantly higher nitrogen content compared to the control. The Bacillus-enriched pressmud compost not only accelerated the composting process but also enhanced nutrient levels, positioning it as a promising biofertilizer for rehabilitating barren lands.

Great economic losses in fish aquaculture occur under the unhygienic conditions of the fishponds due to bacterial pathogens. Currently, Biofloc Technology (BFT) has proved successful in wastewater management as well as in controlling pathogenic loads. Since this technology has greatly supported marine fish, very scarce information is available for its successful implementation in freshwater fisheries. Furthermore, the pathogens specific to the carp cultures under the BFT system have not been studied yet. The unique attempt has been carried out in the Microbiology Lab of the Zoology Department of GC Women University, Faisalabad, Pakistan to screen bacterial pathogens in grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella culture based on BFT utilizing agro-industrial wastes as a carbon source. The study confirmed the presence of bacterial isolates belonging to three genera namely Bacillus, Klebsiella, and Staphylococcus in water samples from three treatment groups. Bacillus species dominated over the pathogenic species i.e., Klebsiella and Staphylococcus in all treatment groups and is speculated to inhibit the harmful effects of Klebsiella and Staphylococcus species on the carp fish. This study is very important for the future designing of BFT based culture for freshwater fishes.

Isolation and Characterization of the Bioplastic Producing Bacteria Using Low-Cost Substrate, Sawdust by Anam Javaid1, Sumaira Aslam1,* , Hira Qaisar1, Farhat Batool1, Rimsha Javed1, Muhammad Waqas Qaisar2 1 Department of Zoology, GC Women University, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan 2 Department of Mechanical, Mechatronics and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (Faisalabad Campus), 38801, Pakistan * … Continue reading "Isolation and Characterization of the Bioplastic Producing Bacteria Using Low-Cost Substrate, Sawdust"

Pressmud, a by-product of sugarcane processing, is typically disposed of through incineration or landfilling, though it has considerable potential in organic agriculture. This study explored the com-posting of pressmud through bioaugmentation using specific bacterial strains. Two experimental setups were created: E2 with a cellulolytic and phosphorus-solubilizing strain, Bacillus amyloliquefa-ciens-ASK11, and E3 with a nitrogen-fixing strain, Bacillus megaterium-ASNF3. A control setup (E5) was also maintained without bacterial augmentation. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents were measured using the Kjeldahl and Olsen methods, respectively, while Fourier-Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed compost maturity. Results indicated that the Bacillus-enhanced composts in E2 and E3 significantly increased the nitrogen(49.27% and 91.23%) and phosphorus contents(129% and 83.85%), respectively, compared to the control with only 13.62% N and 65% P contents after 60 days of the pressmud compost maturity.. Additionally, organic matter decomposi-tion improved by 49-50% in the bioaugmented setups after 60 days. FTIR analysis revealed organic phosphate peaks and P-O-C stretching bands at 1025 cm-1 in the E2 compost, while a nitrogen vi-bration band at 3849 cm-1 in E3 indicated significantly higher nitrogen content compared to the control. The Bacillus-enriched pressmud compost not only accelerated the composting process but also enhanced nutrient levels, positioning it as a promising biofertilizer for rehabilitating barren lands.