Fungal Bioconversion of Bio-Solids and Chicken Manure to Increase Soil Quality.

The utilization of agro-chemical products such as pesticides and fertilizers has allowed the increase in food production. Poultry manure and manure from different animals have been used as alternative to improve the soil quality and therefore, to increase crop production. Nevertheless, removal of these chemical agents from soil has not been determined, considering that 50% of the amount that is applied remains in the soil. We had demonstrated that Trametes versicolor CDB-H-1051 is able to degrade a commercial pesticide in a contaminated soil using a bio-augmented system. In a study realized in the laboratory, it was found that this fungus, using poultry manure as alternative substrate, was able to grow in a mixture of pesticides. Anaerobic systems will be utilized to establish a combined system to reduce the concentration of agro-chemical products and estimated biogas production.  Also, test will be performed by using mixtures of bio-solids with chicken manure for the reduction of these compounds in the presence of the fungus. The generated results will serve as a guide for reducing the cost to recover contaminated soil when using by-products from the agro-industrial processes.