CONVERSION OF NATURAL WASTES INTO SUGAR BY TRICHODERMA HARZIANUM – A. Divya and N. Uma Mageshwari 2013 Vol. 1 (4) Page 24 CONVERSION OF NATURAL WASTES INTO SUGAR BY TRICHODERMA HARZIANUM A. Divya and N. Uma Maheswari PG and Research Department of Microbiology and Division of Biotechnology, Sengamala Thayaar Educational Trust Women’s College, Mannargudi, Thiruvarur, Tamilnadu, India ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the influence of natural wastes substrates such as rice straw and grasses to produce the high sugar content by Trichoderma harzianum. The organism was isolated from soil and identified based on the cultural morphological characteristics and was used for the sugar production. The natural wastes such as rice straw and grasses were subjected to the cellulolytic action of the intact cells of Trichoderma harzianum grown in 5% wheat bran medium in presence of glucose as major carbon source. Rice straw and grasses have pH 3, 4 and temperature 28°C, 30°C respectively. In the present study, highest moisture content (90.9%), ash content (21.6%), cellulose (46.6%), carbohydrate (66.6%), protein content (13.6%), total sugar (40.6%) and reducing sugar (40%) were noted in rice straw. Maximum sugar was produced due to the degradation of cellulose present in natural wastes by cellulase producing Trichoderma harzianum. Key words: Rice straw, Grasses, Trichoderma harzianum, Sugar, Cellulose, Glucose, Protein and Ash.