4.What were the most significant accomplishments this past year?
D. Progress Report This report serves to document research conducted under a Specific Cooperative Agreement between the ARS Sugarcane Research Unit and Nicholls State University (NSU). Additional details of this research project can be found in the report for the previous parent CRIS 6435-22000-009-00D, "Developing Integrated Weed and Insect Pest Management Systems for Efficient and Sustainable Sugarcan Production." Effective November 1, 2003 this Specific Cooperative Agreement was transferred to CRIS 6435-21000-011-00D, "New and Improved Cultural Practices for Sustainable Sugarcane Production and Environmental Protection," to coincide with its cultural practice research theme. A cooperative research project between ARS and NSU was initiated in 2003 to isolate and characterize native bacteria and fungi that were capable of degrading post harvest residues generated during the green-cane harvesting of sugarcane. The cellulose degrading bacteria and fungi were isolated from the soil collected from various fields including sugarcane fields, established lawns, and forests. The microorganisms were identified and characterized in the laboratory. The cellulose degrading ability of the microbes was evaluated in the lab through wet fermentation and dry fermentation. The fermentation studies were promising and hence a greenhouse study was conducted. The results from the greenhouse study demonstrated that the cellulose degradation could be accelerated by enriching the soil with selected bacteria and fungi. Preliminary results from a field trial conducted over the 2003/2004 growing season do not show an acceleration in the decomposition of post harvest residues. However, populations of both the bacterial and fungal inoculants were demonstrated to survive and increase in numbers at the test site. Further research will involve formulation of the bacterial and fungal cultures and experiments to determine the proper inoculation rate.