Bioaugmentation of cattle dung with Pseudomonas fluorescens: Effects on lignocellulose degradation for bioenergy production

India's energy production is growing at a rate of 7.06%, reaching 1,739.1 billion units in 2023-24, but the country still faces a deficit of 4.1 billion units. This demand, driven by population growth and industrialization, has depleting conventional energy resources and increased the need for renewable options like solar, wind, and biogas. Biogas, produced through anaerobic digestion (AD) of biomass, is a potential energy source, but breaking down lignocellulosic structures remains a major challenge. This study examines the effect of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens on degrading lignocellulose in cattle dung. Fresh cattle dung was mixed with water to achieve a 10% dry matter content and inoculated with 3% and 6% concentrations of P. fluorescens. After 50 days, the study measured the degradation of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. The results showed only slight changes among the groups, with no significant differences in fiber breakdown. While some improvements were noted with the higher inoculum (6%) concentration, though they were not statistically significant.