Production of Phytotoxic Metabolites with Bioherbicidal Activities from Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae Produced on Different Agricultural Wastes Using Solid-State Fermentation

Fungus-based bioherbicides on circular economy

This review aimed to show that bioherbicides are possible in organic agriculture as natural compounds from fungi and metabolites produced by them. It is discussed that new formulations must be developed to improve field stability and enable the commercialization of microbial herbicides. Due to these bottlenecks, it is crucial to advance the bioprocesses behind the formulation and fermentation of bio-based herbicides, scaling up, strategies for field application, and the potential of bioherbicides in the global market. In this sense, it proposed insights for modern agriculture based on sustainable development and circular economy, precisely the formulation, scale-up, and field application of microbial bioherbicides.

Solid-State Fermentation: Applications and Future Perspectives for Biostimulant and Biopesticides Production

With the expansion of the green products market and the worldwide policies and strategies directed toward a green revolution and ecological transition, the demand for innovative approaches is always on the rise. Among the sustainable agricultural approaches, microbial-based products are emerging over time as effective and feasible alternatives to agrochemicals. However, the production, formulation, and commercialization of some products can be challenging. Among the main challenges are the industrial production processes that ensure the quality of the product and its cost on the market. In the context of a circular economy, solid-state fermentation (SSF) might represent a smart approach to obtaining valuable products from waste and by-products. SSF enables the growth of various microorganisms on solid surfaces in the absence or near absence of free-flowing water. It is a valuable and practical method and is used in the food, pharmaceutical, energy, and chemical industries. Nevertheless, the application of this technology in the production of formulations useful in agriculture is still limited. This review summarizes the literature dealing with SSF agricultural applications and the future perspective of its use in sustainable agriculture. The survey showed good potential for SSF to produce biostimulants and biopesticides useful in agriculture.

Biomolecules in modern and sustainable agriculture

This review presents scientific findings which indicate biomolecules are excellent candidates for the development of biopesticides. Efforts are being done to find routes to increase their concentrations in the cultivation media because this concentration facilitates applications, storage, and transportation. Some of these routes are co-fermentation and ultrasound-assisted fermentation. Ultrasonication increases metabolite production and growth rates by improvement of cell permeability and nutrient uptake rates through cell membranes. For example, 24% increase in the enzymatic activity of cellulases produced by Trichoderma reesei in solid-state fermentation was achieved with ultrasonication. Also, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase productions were stimulated by ultrasound in Beauveria bassiana cultivation, presenting positive results. The common parameters evaluated in the production of biomolecules by ultrasound-assisted fermentation are the duty cycle, time of application, power, energetic density, and how long the sonication is maintained in the fermentation media. Many successful cases are reported and discussed, which include the final formulation of bioproducts for agricultural applications. In this trend, nanotechnology is a promising tool for the development of nanoformulations. Nanoemulsification, green synthesis, biosynthesis, or biogenic synthesis are technologies used to produce such nanoformulations, allowing the controlled release of control agents, as well as the delivery of biomolecules to specific targets.

Environmental implications of petroleum spillages in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria: A review

The issue of environmental pollution has been recognized as a typical example of an anthropogenic activity that constitutes a global challenge coupled with the influence of climate change. This has constituted several hazards which include bioaccumulation of toxic substances, pollution of the aquatic environment, and high rate of dilapidation of soil structure and texture, health hazards, high level of imbalance in the ecosystem and a high level of toxicity in humans and the environment. Despite the intervention of governments, industries, researchers and relevant stakeholders, these problems remain paramount in most regions. Therefore, given the aforementioned, it is essential to identify sustainable remediation techniques, innovative knowledge on remediation strategies and clean up techniques that could help in the mitigation of all these highlighted challenges. Moreover, several studies have revealed the deleterious influence of petroleum or oil spillages resulting in irreparable environmental dilapidation and other potential hazards to human health, agriculture, climate system, and the ecosystem in general. From the systematic analysis of the evidence-based, meta-data-based review and other reviewed literature, it is noticeable that there is scant holistic review study that will incorporate all these aforementioned environmental implications resulting from the activities of petroleum resources in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria (NDRN) in just a single study. In the interim, it is alleged that there is hardly a permanent and tangible solution to these petroleum spillage issues and their impacts on the region; albeit, awareness will be fundamental for its mitigation. Hence, this review study will attempt to fill this gap by holistically reviewing the selected environmental implications of petroleum spillages in the NDRN drawn from 219 evidence and meta-data-based reviews and other articles. Furthermore, the relevant legal frameworks that could guild in protecting against environmental issues and petroleum spillages, are discussed in this study. In conclusion, the study cautiously provides a way forward by submitting that effective research and development measures ranging from public health assessments of petroleum contamination to an all-embracing application of bioremediation technology should frequently be carried out as a matter of urgency with resilient adaptation, mollification and management of these menaces.

Agricultural waste

The management of agricultural waste has become very important because the inappropriate disposal yields negative effects on the environment. The resource recovery from agricultural waste which converts waste into available resources can reduce the waste and new resource consumption. This review summarizes the 2018 researches of over three hundred scholar papers from several aspects: agricultural waste, and, waste chemical characterization, agricultural waste material, adsorption, waste energy, composting, waste biogas, agricultural waste management, and others.