Peat Emerges as the Best Carrier for Endophytic Fungal Biofertiliser

Image: article cover, from Safinah et al. (2019), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

A research team from the Banjarbaru Forestry and Environment Research and Development Centre tested three carrier materials for producing biofertiliser from the endophytic fungus Penicillium citrinum, isolate P3.10. The results showed that peat soil performed best compared with rice bran and sawdust. The findings were published in Jurnal Wasian in 2019.

The testing covered a storage period of up to 70 days. According to the study, peat was able to maintain the number of viable fungi for the longest time, with a recommended maximum shelf life of 28 days at a level of 5.62 x 105 cfu/gram. This assessment refers to the biofertiliser standard in Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 70/Permentan/SR.140/19/2011. Peat's advantage is attributed to its C/N ratio and its capacity to sustain a viable fungal population.

For forest-edge communities and farmers, these findings offer practical guidance: biofertiliser made from endophytic fungi should be packaged with peat and should not be stored for too long before use. Biofertilisers are known to support plant growth, supply nutrients, be readily absorbed by plants and be environmentally friendly. This study did not directly test their effect on plants in the field, so the benefits require further verification.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article Viability of Penicillium Citrinum on Different Carrier Media as Organic Fertilizer by Safinah Surya Hakim Safinah, Tri Wira Yuwati Yuwati, Dony Rachmandi Dony, Purwanto B Santosa Purwanto and Dewi Alimah Dewi, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 6 No. 2 (2019). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Safinah, S. S. H., Yuwati, T. W. Y., Dony, D. R., Purwanto, P. B. S., & Dewi, D. A. (2019). Viability of Penicillium Citrinum on Different Carrier Media as Organic Fertilizer. Jurnal Wasian, 6(2), 69–76. https://doi.org/10.62142/p5xcv177

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.