Abstract
Presently, the bioprocessing of agricultural residues to various bioactive compounds is of great concern, with the potential to be used as plant growth promoters and as a reductive of various diseases.
, one of the most consumed crops in the human diet, is attacked by Fusarium wilt disease, so the main aim is to biocontrol the pathogen. Several fungal species were isolated from decayed maize stover (MS).
was chosen based on its organic acid productivity and was molecularly identified (GenBank accession number is MW195019). Citric acid (CA) was the major detected organic acid by HPLC. In vitro, CA of
at 75% completely repressed the growth of
f. sp.
(FOL). In vivo, soaking tomato seeds in CA enhanced the seed germination and vigor index.
and/or its CA suppressed the wilt disease caused by FOL compared to control. There was a proportional increment of plant growth and yield, as well as improvements in the biochemical parameters (chlorophyll pigments, total phenolic contents and peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase activities), suggesting targeting both the bioconversion of MS into CA and biological control of FOL.