Using maize wastes, fermented by co-cultures of Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens, as grain dressing against m maize diseases under field conditions

Abstract

Abstract Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most economic crops in Egypt. Production of amylase from the waste of maize is the most economic and cheap renewable and most abundant raw materials present in environment. Biosynthesis of Cu-chitosan nanoparticles for amylase production by co-culturing between Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens at different ratios compared to free conditions was the main purpose of this study. The optimum ratio 8:2, recorded between P. fluorescens: T. harzianum, was the most promising for production of amylase produce 22.47 and 28.60 U/ml for free and nano, respectively. The UV visible spectral analysis Cu-chitosan NPs was 220 nm, while the mean diameter, using transmission electron microscopy was 0.5 μm. Application of fermented maize wastes by co-cultivation of P. fluorescence and T. harzianum, as a grain dressing before sowing declared the reduction in both root and foliar diseases during the maize growing season, starting from germination up to 70 days of its vegetative growth under field conditions. A promising approach is the creation and use of environmentally safe products, whose protective effect is based on the induction of hydrolase inhibitors in plants.

Keywords

• Maize wastes
• Maize diseases
• Amylase
• Co-culturing
• Cu-chitosan nanoparticles
• Trichoderma harzianum