244 



THE ACTINOMYCETES, Vol. I 



T.\BLE 68 



Decompostion of alfalfa by pure and mixed cultures 

 of microorqanisms (Waksman and Hatchings) 



* Values are given in grams on basis of dry ma- 

 terial. 



t The amount of the constituents decomposed 

 bj- each organism or combination of organisms 

 can easilj^ be calculated by subtracting the ma- 

 terial left from that of the control. 



lime, their activities were highly significant, 

 and particularly when one remembers that 

 the fungus used in this experiment was one 

 of the most effective in the decomposition of 

 plant materials. 



A number of factors, such as reaction, 

 aeration, moisture, and temperature, exert 

 a considerable influence on the decomposi- 

 tion of plant materials by actinomycetes. 

 This is illustrated in the effect of added lime 

 upon their activities, as shown in Table 

 (59. The maximum decomposition of dried 

 blood by actinomycetes, as measured by am- 

 monia formation, was found to take place 

 at pH 5.8 to 7.7; some organisms showed 

 some activity at pH o.O, but very little de- 

 composition of this material took place at 

 pll 4.0 and at pll 8.8. 



Decomposition of Cellulose and 

 Hemicelluloses 



As has been pointed out, various actino- 

 m,ycetes are capable of decomposing different 

 hemicelluloses. Waksman and 13iehm made 

 an extensive study (Tables 70-72) of the de- 



composition by actinomycetes of a variet,y of 

 hemicelluloses in sand, soil, and li(iuid media. 

 They found them capable of Ijringing about 

 considerable decomposition of these carbohy- 

 drates both in an isolated and chemically 



Table 69 



Influence of lime and associative organisms upon 



the growth of actinomycetes on cornstalks 



(Waksman and Hutchings) 



Decomposition in per cent 



Organism 



Control 

 Streptomyces 



3065 

 Humicola 

 Hunticola + 



Streptomyces 



3065 

 Streptomyces 



3065 

 Streptomyces 



3018 

 Streptomyces 



3310 

 Streptomyces 



3065 + Ps. 



fiuorescens 

 Hi( 1)1 i cola 

 Humicola + 



Streptomyces 



3065 



Treat- 

 ment 

 with 



CaC03 



+ 

 + 

 + 

 + 



+ 



Total 

 decom- 

 posed 





 1.0 



26.3 

 31.1 



21.6 

 23.7 



14.7 

 24.2 



25.1 

 24.3 



Water- 

 soluble 

 organic 

 matter 





 4.6 



42.0 

 37.9 



28.5 

 29.7 

 33.4 

 35.3 



43.5 



41.7 



Hemi- 



cellu- 



lose 





 



4 

 21.1 



19.3 

 16.5 

 14.3 

 22.6 



9 

 18.5 



Cellu- 

 lose 





 2.7 



3.8 

 7.1 



6.6 

 9.6 

 

 7.1 



12.0 

 6.4 



Table 70 



Decomposition of different polysaccharides by var- 

 ious strepto)nyces (Waksman and Dielun) 

 Milligrams per flask of sand medium 



