A study looked at using special fungi to help turn paddy straw and poultry droppings into rich compost. They used two steps: first, the fungi broke down the straw for five weeks, then they added the droppings for another five weeks. The fungi Polyporus versicolor, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and Pleurotus sajor caju were the most effective at breaking down the straw. The compost made with this two-step process had more humic substances and a higher cation-exchange-capacity compared to traditional composting. The compost also kept a good balance of carbon and nitrogen, especially when using Phanerochaete chrysosporium. This method can speed up the decomposition of plant materials and make better quality compost.