A crude extract obtained of P. lilacinum growing on a keratin waste exerts biocontrol against phytopathogens

CAVELLO, IVANA; CHESINI MARIANA; LUNA M F; CAVALITTO SEBASTIÁN

Mar del Plata

Congreso; VIII Encuentro Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Biotecnología REDBIO-Argentina 2013; 2013

REDBIO

Current trends in agriculture are focused on the reduction of the use of synthetic pesticides and inorganic fertilizers, forcing the search of alternative ways to improve a more sustainable agriculture. It was reported previously that P. lilacinum produces a crude extract with proteolytic activity when it grows on a keratin waste. This crude extract also poses some compounds that can be thought to produce antifungal activity against plant pathogens, like ammonia, siderophores and antibiosis compounds. Ammonia production by keratinolytic fungi has been widely viewed and it is considered effective from the biocontrol point of view. In this study, the crude extract showed potential efficacy in antagonizing phytopathogenic fungi: Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma sp., Fusarium culmorum and Rizoctonia solani. These functional traits such as ammonification, hydrolytic enzyme production and broad-spectrum antifungal activity may gives to this keratin hydrolyzate a potential application as biocontrol agent keeping in mind that it can be use a biofertilizer as well.