Miché L. auteur aut IRD Dries A. auteur aut IRD Ben Ammar I. auteur aut IRD Davidson Sylvain auteur aut IRD Cagnacci Loris auteur aut IRD Combet-Blanc Yannick auteur aut IRD Abecassis V. auteur aut IRD Penton Fernandez G. auteur aut IRD Christen Pierre auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Fermented forest litter (FFL) is a bioproduct used as biofertilizer for several decades in Eastern Asia and Latin America. It is locally handcrafted by farmers in anaerobic conditions by fermenting forest litter added with agricultural by-products such as whey, cereal bran, and molasses. The aim of this study was to characterize the FFL process and product through gas and liquid chromatography analyses. It also provides some highlights on the influence of O 2 on this solid-state culture. Under anoxic condition, a maximum CO 2 production rate (CDPR) of 0.41 mL/h?g dry matter (dm) was reached after 8 days. The main volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were ethanol and ethyl acetate, with a production rate profile similar to CDPR. After 21 days of culture, no residual sucrose nor lactose was detected. Lactic and acetic acids reached 58.8 mg/g dm and 10.2 mg/g dm, respectively, ensuring the acidification of the matrix to a final pH of 4.72. A metabarcoding analysis revealed that heterolactic acid bacteria (Lentilactobacillus, Leuconostoc), homolactic acid bacteria (Lactococcus), and yeasts (Sac- charomyces, Clavispora) were predominant. Predicted genes in the microbiome confirmed the potential link between detected bacteria and acids and VOCs produced. When O 2 was fed to the cultures, final pH reached values up to 8.5. No significant amounts of lactic nor acetic acid were found. In addition, a strong shift in microbial communities was observed, with a predominance of Proteobacteria and molds, among which are potential pathogens like Fusarium species. This suggests that particular care must be brought to maintain anoxic conditions throughout the process. specialized FRANCE 098 084 32 28 16725-16739 2024 1614-7499 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010095706 10.1007/s11356-024-33629-8 1614-7499 [F B010095706] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010095706 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2025-11/010095706.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2025-11-20 2025-11-26 fdi:010095706 fre