Effect of hot water extraction and liquid hot water pretreatment on the fungal degradation of biomass feedstocks

► Fungal pretreatment with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora was more effective to corn stover than wheat straw and soybean straw. ► Exhaustive hot water extraction substantially improved the fungal degradation of wheat straw, but not of soybean straw. ► Liquid hot water pretreatment at the elevated pressure substantially improved the fungal degradation of soybean straw.