Bioprocessing of Organic Wastes for Potential Use in Agriculture

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2022) | Viewed by 35562

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Biotechnology and Environment, Tay Nguyen University, 567 Le Duan Str., Buon Ma Thuot 630000, Vietnam
Interests: agricultural waste; coffee by-product; aquacultural waste; enzymes; bio-convention; bio-processes; active bio-products
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Guest Editor
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Tay Nguyen University, Buon Ma Thuot 630000, Vietnam
Interests: applied microbiology; bioconversion of by-products; production and application of enzymes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Organic Wastes (OWs) management are considered to be a major issue worldwide. A significant amount of OWs have been released per year as processing by-products of the processing industry, such as agro-residues or waste water obtained from the wet processing of coffee, cassava, sugar canes, and various other agro-crop processing. Untreated OWs may lead to a pollution environment and, thus, reduce life quality and health. OWs are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and minerals. Therefore, they may be utilized for various purposes. The aim of this Special Issue is to collect and announce all the worldwide investigations working on “Bioprocessing of OWs for Potential Use in Agriculture

We welcome studies using OWs to produce bioactive products such as biocontrol or/and plant-prompting agents for low-cost potential application in agriculture. We also welcome research that focuses on utilization of significant agro-wastes for the preparation of added valuable compounds/materials and novel uses in other fields (medicine, cosmetics, food, etc.).

Prof. Dr. San-Lang Wang
Prof. Dr. Anh Dzung Nguyen
Dr. Van Bon Nguyen
Dr. Chien Thang Doan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • agro-wastes
  • microbial fermentation
  • biomass production
  • pests management
  • crop production
  • antifungal activity
  • antinematode activity
  • plant promoting effects
  • bioactive microbial metabolites/materials
  • enhancing yield and quality of crops

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1135 KiB  
Article
Use of Digestate as an Alternative to Mineral Fertilizer: Effects on Soil Mineral Nitrogen and Winter Wheat Nitrogen Accumulation in Clay Loam
by Danute Petraityte, Ausra Arlauskiene and Jurgita Ceseviciene
Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 402; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020402 - 5 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2684
Abstract
Knowledge of the mineralisation and nutrient release of organic fertilisers is essential to ensure plant nutrient demand and availability, to increase N use efficiency and to minimise environmental risks. In 2018–2020, two similar field experiments were carried out on clay loam Cambisol with [...] Read more.
Knowledge of the mineralisation and nutrient release of organic fertilisers is essential to ensure plant nutrient demand and availability, to increase N use efficiency and to minimise environmental risks. In 2018–2020, two similar field experiments were carried out on clay loam Cambisol with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown without N application and applying liquid anaerobic digestate (LD), pig slurry (PS) and ammonium nitrate (AN) fertilizer with and without additional fertilization (N120 and N120+50). The aim of the research was to compare the effect of organic and mineral fertilizers on the variation of soil mineral nitrogen forms in the 0–30, 30–60 cm soil layers and N accumulation in wheat yield. Fertilizers applied during the previous growing season increased the nitrate and ammonium nitrogen (N-NO3 and N-NH4) content after the resumption of winter wheat vegetation. The dry period in spring (2019) had a negative impact on winter wheat N uptake. In a year of normal moisture content (2020), PS and LD fertilizers and the fertilizer application of the previous year (2019) significantly increased the N-NO3 content in the topsoil, while all applied fertilizers increased it in the deeper soil layer (by a factor of between 3.6 and 12.3), compared to unfertilized soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocessing of Organic Wastes for Potential Use in Agriculture)
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18 pages, 3302 KiB  
Article
Utilization of By-Product of Groundnut Oil Processing for Production of Prodigiosin by Microbial Fermentation and Its Novel Potent Anti-Nematodes Effect
by Thi Hanh Nguyen, San-Lang Wang, Manh Dung Doan, Thi Huyen Nguyen, Thi Ha Trang Tran, Thi Ngoc Tran, Chien Thang Doan, Van Anh Ngo, Nhat Duoc Ho, Van Chung Do, Anh Dzung Nguyen and Van Bon Nguyen
Agronomy 2022, 12(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12010041 - 25 Dec 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4695
Abstract
This study aimed to reuse groundnut oil processing by-product, groundnut cake (GNC) for the low-cost production of prodigiosin (PG) via microbial technology and to assess its novel potential application for the management of black pepper nematodes. Serratia marcescens TUN02 was found as the [...] Read more.
This study aimed to reuse groundnut oil processing by-product, groundnut cake (GNC) for the low-cost production of prodigiosin (PG) via microbial technology and to assess its novel potential application for the management of black pepper nematodes. Serratia marcescens TUN02 was found as the most active PG-producing strain. Various small-scale experiments conducted in flasks indicated that GNC at 1% may be used as the sole carbon/nitrogen source for cost-effective PG production by fermentation. Notably, no further commercial ingredients and salts are required to supplement into the culture medium of this fermentation. PG was further investigated for scale-up production in a 14-L bioreactor system and PG was produced at high yield (6886 mg/L) with large-scale volume (4 L) in a short cultivation time (10 h). PG was then purified and its nematicidal activity was evaluated and showed effective inhibition of juveniles and egg hatching of Meloidogyne incognita species, harmful on black pepper, with low IC50 values of 0.2 and 0.32 mg/mL, respectively. The simple medium containing 1% GNC is the first report of cost-effective biosynthesis of PG, as well as potential in vitro anti-egg hatching activity of PG. These results indicated the potential application of GNC for low-cost bioproduction of PG for promising and novel use in the management of black pepper nematodes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocessing of Organic Wastes for Potential Use in Agriculture)
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12 pages, 2772 KiB  
Article
Mulching with Leaf Litter from Municipal Green Waste Favours Predatory Mononchid Nematodes
by Renáta Petrikovszki, Mihály Zalai, Franciska Tóthné Bogdányi, Ferenc Tóth and Péter István Nagy
Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2522; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122522 - 12 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2939
Abstract
Although the incorporation of organic amendments into the soil is widely researched, less attention has been given to the impact of in-situ composting of municipal green wastes (MGW), especially leaf litter, on free-living nematodes. In a four year experiment (2016–2019) of tomato cropping [...] Read more.
Although the incorporation of organic amendments into the soil is widely researched, less attention has been given to the impact of in-situ composting of municipal green wastes (MGW), especially leaf litter, on free-living nematodes. In a four year experiment (2016–2019) of tomato cropping cycles, we tested the hypothesis that leaf litter mulch has a positive effect on mononchid predatory nematodes and influences their species composition. Two treatments were applied every year: plots were either mulched with leaf litter or left unmulched. Soil samples were collected every autumn at the end of the growing season. Active, free-living nematodes were extracted by Baermann funnel from soil samples, the density of mononchid predatory nematodes was determined, and the individuals were identified to genus or species. In the first year (2016), mulching did not affect the density of mononchids. From the second year (2017) on, their number significantly increased in mulched plots, compared to in unmulched ones. During the study period the presence of four mononchid genera: Clarkus, Mylonchulus, Prionchulus, and Iotonchus, were detected. Our hypothesis was confirmed, as the number of mononchids increased in the presence of MGW leaf litter mulch layer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocessing of Organic Wastes for Potential Use in Agriculture)
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21 pages, 2925 KiB  
Article
Chemical and Microbial Characterization of Washed Rice Water Waste to Assess Its Potential as Plant Fertilizer and for Increasing Soil Health
by Abba Nabayi, Christopher Teh Boon Sung, Ali Tan Kee Zuan, Tan Ngai Paing and Nurul Izzati Mat Akhir
Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2391; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122391 - 24 Nov 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 16680
Abstract
The wastewater from washed rice water (WRW) is often recommended as a source of plant nutrients in most Asian countries, even though most current research on WRW lack scientific rigor, particularly on the effects of rice washing intensity, volumetric water-to-rice ratio (W:R), and [...] Read more.
The wastewater from washed rice water (WRW) is often recommended as a source of plant nutrients in most Asian countries, even though most current research on WRW lack scientific rigor, particularly on the effects of rice washing intensity, volumetric water-to-rice ratio (W:R), and condition of the WRW before plant application. This research was thus carried out: (1) to determine how various rice washing intensities, fermentation periods (FP), and W:R would affect the nutrient content in WRW, and (2) to isolate, identify, and characterize the bacterial community from fermented WRW. The WRW was prepared at several rice washing intensities (50, 80, and 100 rpm), FP (0, 3, 6, and 9 days), and W:R (1:1, 3:1, and 6:1). The concentrations of all elements (except P, Mg, and Zn) and available N forms increased with increasing FP and W:R. Beneficial N-fixing and P- and K-solubilizing bacteria were additionally detected in WRW, which helped to increase the concentrations of these elements. Monovalent nutrients NH4+-N, NO3-N, and K are soluble in water. Thus, they were easily leached out of the rice grains and why their concentrations increased with W:R. The bacteria population in WRW increased until 3 days of fermentation, then declined, possibly because there was an insufficient C content in WRW to be a source of energy for bacteria to support their prolonged growth. While C levels in WRW declined over time, total N levels increased then decreased after 3 days, where the latter was most possibly due to the denitrification and ammonification process, which had led to the increase in NH4+-N and NO3-N. The optimum FP and W:R for high nutrient concentrations and bacterial population were found to be 3 to 9 days and 3:1 to 6:1, respectively. WRW contained nutrients and beneficial bacterial species to support plant growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocessing of Organic Wastes for Potential Use in Agriculture)
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10 pages, 2609 KiB  
Article
Fermented Coffee Grounds Diminish Livestock Odors: A Microbiome Study
by Min-Sueng Kim, Sang-Ho Kim, Minsoo Jeong, Min-Kyu Park, YoungJae Jo, GI-Ung Kang, Da-Ryung Jung, Chang-Il Lee and Jae-Ho Shin
Agronomy 2021, 11(10), 1914; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11101914 - 24 Sep 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3799
Abstract
Livestock odors are unavoidable problems in modern industrial society. We foresaw a role for fermented organic wastes in controlling odorous gases. In this study, we applied fermented coffee grounds to the floor area of a dairy cow barn and assessed alterations in odor [...] Read more.
Livestock odors are unavoidable problems in modern industrial society. We foresaw a role for fermented organic wastes in controlling odorous gases. In this study, we applied fermented coffee grounds to the floor area of a dairy cow barn and assessed alterations in odor compounds and a microbial shift over a period of three weeks. The treatment dramatically reduced ten odor compounds (more than 50%), highlighting the utility of fermented coffee grounds as an excellent product to reduce odors derived from cow manure. By the end of the treatment, the microbial consortium showed increases in rare families whose prevalence and abundance before the treatment had been low. Network analysis manifested 23 bacterial families dominant in fermented coffee grounds, negatively connected with odorous compounds, indicating potential odor-reducing bacterial families. This study provides an insight into using bacteria at the community level as a treatment to solve an environmental issue; simultaneously, it suggests proper usage of organic wastes by recycling them as fermenters for beneficial bacteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocessing of Organic Wastes for Potential Use in Agriculture)
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23 pages, 4370 KiB  
Article
Effects of Organic Amendments Produced from Agro-Wastes on Sandy Soil Properties and Black Pepper Morpho-Physiology and Yield
by Kevin Muyang Tawie Sulok, Osumanu Haruna Ahmed, Choy Yuen Khew, Jarroop Augustine Mercer Zehnder, Pei Sing Lai, Mohamadu Boyie Jalloh, Adiza Alhassan Musah, Azwan Awang and Arifin Abdu
Agronomy 2021, 11(9), 1738; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11091738 - 29 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3059
Abstract
Sandy-textured soil infertility poses a problem for sustainable crop cultivation. This problem is usually dealt with by the addition of chemical fertilizers, which are expensive and can cause serious environmental issues if not managed well. A better alternative to improve and manage sandy [...] Read more.
Sandy-textured soil infertility poses a problem for sustainable crop cultivation. This problem is usually dealt with by the addition of chemical fertilizers, which are expensive and can cause serious environmental issues if not managed well. A better alternative to improve and manage sandy soil infertility is the use of organic amendments produced from agro-wastes. This two (2)-year field study was conducted in a sandy-textured soil grown with black pepper to evaluate mainly the effects of chemical fertilizer, fermented plant and fruit juices, compost, and biochar on soil properties and morpho-physiological characteristics and yield of black pepper. Generally, the results indicated that the combination of fermented fruit juice, compost, and biochar was comparable to and in some cases better than chemical fertilizer in terms of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties as well as crop performance. These findings were even more pronounced in the second year of measurements. There were strong positive relationships between soil N and pepper leaf chlorophyll content and between soil microbes and soil respiration. The findings showed that these soil amendments produced from agro-wastes are a good alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers on sandy soils to improve soil fertility and productivity and the yield of black pepper sustainably. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocessing of Organic Wastes for Potential Use in Agriculture)
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