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This work was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the endophytic fungal strain Epicoccum nigrum ASU11 (Epi) to control potato blackleg caused by bacterial stain Pectobacterium carotovora subsp. atrosepticum PHY7 (Pca). E. nigrum showed unique colonization frequency properties of potato plants (73.3% colonization frequency). Furthermore, the endophytic fungus exhibited antagonistic capability against pathogenic bacteria with inhibition zone 18 ± 0.5 mm. The AMF and Epi individually or in combination reduced Pca population in vivo experiment. The highest level of reduction was recorded in combination of AMF+ Epi. Also, infected potato plants treated with the two bioagents showed the highest weight of potato tubers in comparison to infected control. The enhancement of potato plants growth and the elevation of blackleg disease symptoms by bioagents (Epi + AMF) could be attributed to promoting the systemic plant resistance through the decrease of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde content (MDA), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), soluble peroxidase (SPO), ionic peroxidase (IPO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenyl alanine ammonialyase (PAL) and lignin content. Moreover, they enhance the content of potato phenolics, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) content. These results detected the potentiality of AMF and E. nigrum to promote potato growth and decrease the disease severity of blackleg disease. These biocontrol agents may have promising prospective strategies in potato crop protection and increase the feasibility of agriculture crop protection. The results reported herein are expected to provide competitive economic outcomes for sustainable cropping protection systems.

The current study purposed to improve vegetative growth, nodules formation and biological dinitrogen fixation of Vicia faba L. (faba bean) grown in sandy soil by inoculation with bacterial feather hydrolysate fertilizer (BFH) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). A potent feather-degrading bacterium was isolated from chicken feathers and molecular identified as Bacillus licheniformis ASU (Accession number KF446641 ). Two different native AMF were recovered from the sandy soil and identified as Acaulospora bireticulata and Glomus caesaris. Bacillus licheniformis has the capability to degrade the chicken feathers efficiently. Furthermore, it can solubilize tricalcium phosphate and produce ammonia and IAA (indole acetic acid). Faba bean seeds were grown in pot experiments containing sandy soil inoculated with AMF or BFH individually or in combination. The application of AMF and BFH in combination significantly increased nodule formation and N2-fixation. The total dry biomass of plants co-inoculated with AMF and BFH was increased significantly compared with non-inoculated plants. So, the combination with AMF and BFH has the potential to be developed as a useful biofertilizer in future. This paper is expected to afford a competitive economic outcome for sustainable cropping systems.

Lipase-catalyzed biotransformation of fungal lipids into biodiesel via bacterial enzymes or whole cell catalysts has been considered as one of the most promising methods to produce applicable, renewable and environmentally friendly alternative liquid fuels. Four highly lipolytic bacterial isolates were isolated from seeds and grains of some plant species and screened for their potentiality to synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) by lipase esterification process for the production of cost-competitive biodiesel. The four isolates were identified based on phenotypic and gene encoding 16S rRNA as Bacillus vallismortis ASU 3 (KP777551), Bacillus tequilensis ASU 11 (KP777550), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ASU 16 (KP777549) and Bacillus firmus ASU 32 (KP777552). Among the four tested bacterial lipases, extracellular lipase of B firmus ASU 32 (KP777552) showed the highest activity toward the transesterification of fungal lipids as 71.2% of total fatty acid methyl eseters (FAMEs). B. firmus ASU 32 lipases displayed a higher thermal stability and methanol tolerance ensuring their application as a promising biocatalyst for FAME synthesis. The results proved that, the most active acyl acceptors for biodiesel production from fungal lipids by B. firmus lipase were methanol and ethyl acetate. B. firmus has applicable future as a whole cell biocatalyst for FAME synthesis from fungal lipids. Alleviation the inhibitory effect of methanol in the transesterification process of fungal lipids by lipases might be performed through separation of hydrolysis step from esterification process by methanol for FAME synthesis. This paper is expected to provide a competitive economic outcome for industrial FAME synthesis.

Biodiesel was produced by direct esterification of Cunninghamella echinulata dry mass using sugarcanemolasses as substrate in the first stage of fermentation. GC/MS results for fatty acid methyl estersrevealed abundant low degree unsaturated long chain fatty acids and saturated long chain fatty acidsthat are similar to plant oils. In the second stage, the spent medium of C. echinulata culture was used asthe fermentation medium for hydrogen production by Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824. Themaximum total H 2 yield was 1450 ml H 2 /l after 48 h fermentation. In the third stage, the spent mediumof Clostridium containing volatile organic acids was used for methane production by methanogenicbacteria. The highest cumulative methane yield was 1690 ml l 1 spent medium obtained after 48 h. Thegross energy content of biodesel, H 2 and methane generated through three successive stages fermen-tation from 84 g molasses was 3928 kJ mol 1 . The results presented in this study suggest a possibility ofinterlinking biodiesel production technology byfungi with hydrogenproduction byC. acetobutylicum andmethane production by methanogenic bacteria to exploit the residual sugars and organic acids in thespent medium and therefore increase the economic feasibility of the bioenergy production frommolasses.© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In the present study biodiesel was produced by various fungal species isolated from Egypt using sugarcane molasses as substrate. In the first stage 6 oleaginous fungi, namely, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Epicoccum nigrum, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus parasiticus and Emericella nidulans var. lata were used for lipid production. Subsequent to fungal cultivation on sugarcane molasses the cultures were filtered and biodiesel was prepared by direct esterification of dry fungal biomass. Methyl esters of palmitic, stearic, linoleic and elaidic represented the major components while palmitoleic represented a minor component of biodiesel produced from tested oleaginous fungi. In the second stage, the spent medium of fungal culture was used as the fermentation medium for hydrogen production by Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824. The maximum total H2 yield was obtained with the spent medium of E. nigrum and A. alternata. The results presented in this study suggest a possibility of interlinking the biodiesel production technology by fungi with hydrogen production by C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 to exploit the residual sugars in the spent media and therefore increase the economic feasibility of the biofuel production from molasses.

Root rot and charcoal rot diseases caused by Macrophomina phaseolina are the major factors that affect the growth of sunflower plants. The aim of this work was to manage these diseases by employing an effective mutual strategy, in which an antagonistic and growth-promoting yeast Brettanomyces naardensis was combined with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), inoculated into the soil and cultivated with the crop. The results demonstrated that B. naardensis is a potent biocontrol agent for M. phaseolina that colonizes fungal hyphae, causing malformation and damage. In vitro, the yeast produced indole acetic acid and ammonia and showed good phosphate solubilization activity, confirming its growth-promoting characteristics. Dual inoculation of sunflower plants with both yeast and AMF involved in a reduction of the disease incidence of root rot and charcoal rot, caused by M. phaseolina, to 11.11% and 5.55%, respectively. Inoculation with yeast and AMF significantly enhanced growth parameters (plant height, dry weight and leaf number) in both healthy and infected plants. The results approved the induction of the immune system in sunflower plant via decreasing malondialdehyde content (MDA) and increasing the nutrient availability by dual inoculation with yeast and AMF that was confirmed by the enhancement of plant growth and alleviation of the disease symptoms. The double bioagents offer a promising biocontrol strategy in crop protection as a biofungicide and biofertilizer together in one bioformulation.