In vitro biodegradation of wheat straw and wheat straw based total mixed ration using zoospores of different elite ruminal fungi

TheeliteanaerobicfungalculturesNeocallimastixspGR-1,PiromycesspWNG-12andOrpinomyces sp C-14 were isolated from wild blue bull and cattle respectively of grazing and browsing goat. Attempts were made to grow thesecultures in normal media or using stress oconditions by keeping them at lower or highertemperature than39c or using a complex media; Normal media produced maximum number of fungal zoospores after 120hrs of incubation. The in- vitrodry matter, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre digestibilitywere studied using fresh ozoospores; or those being kept at normal; lower orhigher temperature than 39C. Based on in vitro digestibility of DM, NDF and ADF of wheat straw and wheat straw based totalmixed rations.The Neocallimastix sp GR-1was found better as compared to Piromyces sp WNG-12 andOrpinomyces sp C-14as this anaerobic fungiproduced maximum numbers of zoospores and also proved to be best performing for its abilityto degrade lignified feed material.With the addition of zoospores of Neocallimastix GR1 kept at different temperature for 45 days in treatments T2, T3, T4 and T5, NDF digestibility increased significantly (P≤0.05) and values were recorded as 42.54±0.54, 41.52±0.58, 41.00±0.56 and 42.27±0.55.respectively.With addition of zoospores of Piromyces sp.WNG-12, the NDF digestibility also increased significantly (P≤0.01) as compared to control both for WS and WS based rations.Addition of zoospores of Neocallimastix GR-1 to different treatments increased total number of zoospores significantly in all treatments compared to that of control.