Characterization of the dominant aerobic microorganism in cattle feedlot waste.

The dominant aerobic microorganism in cattle feedlot waste (FLW) is a corynebacterium. It is ubiquitous to FLW except on sites where antibiotics are a constant part of the animals' diet. The organism requires DL-aspartic acid as its nitrogen source for growth, and individual strains also require or are stimulated by L-tyrosine; acetate serves as the carbon source. Amylolytic activity is weak; protease, lipase, and cellulase activities are nil. Despite the abundance of the organism, it probably does not decompose the waste appreciably.