Asian Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

Waste mainly contains cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose and among them cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on earth, playing a vital role in the structural integrity of plant cells. They are structurally difficult to break which result in their accumulation affecting environment. Biological method involving certain microorganisms, notably cellulose-degrading bacteria is considered as a sustainable method to combat such problems. In this current research work, isolation and characterization of cellulose-degrading bacteria was carried out to evaluate their cellulose-degrading efficiency. Isolation was carried out from dump area and forest soil using CMC agar media plating. Cellulase degrading ability was screened on the basis of halo zone formation by isolates which was performed using Congo red and NaCl solution as staining agent in CMC plate. Out of all, 4 potential isolates were screened and their hydrolytic capacity ranged from 1.2-2.0.  Bacterial characterization was done by following Bergey’s manual of determination. All the isolates were found negative for citrate test whereas they had mixed result for other biochemical characters. Isolate GNR-1 and S-17 showed gram positive reaction whereas isolate S-15 and SG-1 showed negative gram reaction.  Isolate; GNR-1 & S-17 were found positive reaction for catalase assay. Their morphological study was also carried out that shows variations among all the isolates. The applications of these bacteria in waste management are quite useful, highlighting their potential for improving sustainability.