## 3 Results and Discussion
### Biodegradation Characteristics  
The biodegradation characteristics of the sugarcane residues based on the treatments applied are presented in Table 1. The residues treated with treatment T4 presented the highest biodegradation rate (55.81%) and the highest leachate production (95.70 mL), followed by treatment T3, whose biodegradation and leachate production rates were 47.76% and 61.30 mL, respectively. On the contrary, the residues corresponding to the control treatment, in which no phytopathogenic fungi were added, presented the lowest decomposition rates (30.90%) and leachate production (33.90 mL). Several studies have associated the production of leachates and the pH of these soluble compounds with the stage of decomposition and the release of secondary metabolites. Similar research was conducted by [PERSON] et al. (2019) in 2019, in which the best percentage of decomposition of banana rachis was obtained with the application of a solution based on the combination of 1.75 \(\times\) 10\({}^{6}\) spores/mL of _Colletotrichum gloesporoides_ and 1.75 \(\times\) 10\({}^{6}\) spores/mL of _Rhizopus stolonifer_. In 2020, [PERSON] et al. (2021) used _C. gloeosporioides_ and _R. stolonifer_ to improve the biodegradation of cocoa shells and increase the nutritional content of the edible fungus _Pleurotus ostreatus_. In this case, the treatment formulated with a concentration of 2.50 \(\times\) 10\({}^{6}\) spores/mL of _C. gloeosporioides_ showed the highest rates of biodegradation and leachate production, with values of 57.18% and 84 mL, respectively. The metabolic capabilities of _Colletotrichum_ spp. and _Rhizopus_ spp. responsible for the breakdown of cell structures and plant necrosis in various crops have been reported previously. Metabolite production is influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and nutrient availability. [PERSON] et al. (2016) reported that the diversity of _Colletotrichum_ spp. lifestyles varies from necrotrophic to hemibotrophic, with 189 secondary metabolites \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Characteristic**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Treatments**} \\ \cline{2-5}  & **T1** & **T2** & **T3** & **T4** \\ \hline Biodegradation (\%) & 30.90 \({}^{\text{a}}\)\(\pm\) 0.42 & 38.19 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.23 & 47.76 \({}^{\text{c}}\)\(\pm\) 0.36 & 55.81 \({}^{\text{d}}\)\(\pm\) 0.56 \\ \hline Leachate production (mL) & 33.90 \({}^{\text{a}}\)\(\pm\) 0.28 & 56.30 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.55 & 61.30 \({}^{\text{c}}\)\(\pm\) 0.36 & 95.70 \({}^{\text{d}}\)\(\pm\) 0.26 \\ \hline pH of leachate & 3.10 \({}^{\text{a}}\)\(\pm\) 0.28 & 3.50 \({}^{\text{c}}\)\(\pm\) 0.55 & 3.45 \({}^{\text{b}}\)\(\pm\) 0.21 & 4.30 \({}^{\text{d}}\)\(\pm\) 0.13 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Note. Values indicate the yield mean \(\pm\) SE (standard error); Different letters within a column indicate significant differences according to the Duncan test (\(p<0.05\)). T1: Control treatment; T2: Treatment based on a concentration of 4.00 \(\times\) 10\({}^{6}\) spores/mL of _Colletotrichum_ spp.; T3: Treatment based on a concentration of 4.00 \(\times\) 10\({}^{6}\) spores/mL of _Rhizopus_ spp. concentration; T4: Treatment based on a concentration of 2.00 \(\times\) 10\({}^{6}\) spores/mL of _Colletotrichum_ spp. + on a concentration of a 2.00 \(\times\) 10\({}^{6}\) spores/mL of _Rhizopus_ spp.  
\end{table} 
Table 1: Biodegradation characteristics of sugarcane residues treated with phytopathogenic fungi. characterized so far. [PERSON] et al. [37] used a _Rhizopus_ spp. strain for the production of nutrient-free anaerobic fermentative biohydrorogen from rice bran. Rice bran residues treated with _Rhizopus_ spp. removed up to 38% of the lignin from the feedstock, increasing the efficiency of the process by 1.7%. Numerous factors influence the degree of degradation and decomposition time of an agricultural residue; among the most determining factors are the nature and chemical composition of the residue, as well as the conditions initially provided for microbial activity.