Degradation Potential of Trichoderma Isolated from Rhizospheric Soil on Picea smithiana Litter in the Himalayan Range of North Western Kashmir

In the Western Himalayas, the turnover of litterfall for the economically important tree species Picea smithiana (spruce) is very high (9708.17 ? 1341.07 kg/ha/y), and the decomposition rates (decay constant ? k) are also very low ranging from 0.221 to 0.294. Accordingly, 10?13 years is required to decompose 95% of the total litter in these forests. This high turnover of litter, coupled with slow decomposition rates, is the main hindrance in the natural establishment of this coniferous species. The regeneration of these forests is not keeping pace with the removal of tree species, and this problem has resulted in the depletion of growing stock over a large area. Keeping in view the economic importance of this tree species and the poor regeneration caused by the accumulation of litter, this study aimed to isolate Trichoderma, owing to its fast-growing nature, from the rhizosphere of P. smithiana to evaluate its degradation potential to manage the leaf litter by composting to convert it to a more usable product called compost which can be supplemented to the same ecosystem to ameliorate the soil quality and growth of the trees. The Trichoderma was qualitatively screened for its enzymatic activity based on forming a hydrolytic zone. The results revealed that out of six enzymes screened, it was found to be positive for four enzymes: Amylase (29 ? 2.08 mm), lipase (25 ? 1.52 mm), laccase (85 ? 2.64 mm), and cellulase (39 ? 2.08 mm). Due to the ability of Trichoderma to produce cellulase and laccase enzymes, it can be inferred that it can degrade the main components of litter, that is, cellulose and lignin..