Screening and identification of cellulolytic fungi at rhizosphere of safira taro plant

Abstract

Agriculture waste and pathogen cell wall of plant contain a lot of cellulose which are very difficult to degrade. One of the ways to hydrolyse them is through utilizing cellulase, an enzyme produced from secondary metabolite of cellulolytic fungi. This research was aimed at isolating fungi from rhizosphere of safira taro plant and testing the isolate capability to produce cellulase enzyme to be able to act as decomposer and biocontrol of the plant. The research methods are isolating rhizosphere fungi, testing isolate capability in producing cellulase enzyme and identifying potential isolate producing cellulolytic fungi. It obtained 10 fungi isolates, 4 were negative and 6 positive in producing cellulase enzyme with cellulolytic index 1.16 – 1.66. The highest index was RTB14 isolate which belongs to Aspergillus flavus.