Weed control by metabolites produced from Diaporthe schini

ABSTRACT

Weed control is a critical factor to ensure productivity and quality for food production. Chemical control is the main method used worldwide, but the demand for healthier food and the farmers’ health and environment concerns have led to an increase in the search for alternative control methods. In this way, the use of biomolecules produced by microorganisms that present phytotoxic activity against weeds, such as exopolysaccharides, is attracting attention. For this purpose, this work compared two techniques (solid-state and submerged fermentation) for bioherbicide production by Diaporthe schini. Physicochemical characterization of both fermented broth and evaluation of bioherbicidal effect in post-emergence of Amaranthus viridis, Bidens pilosa, Echinocloa crusgalli, and Lollium multiflorum were performed. Fungal broth obtained by submerged fermentation presented better physicochemical characteristics in terms of viscosity, density, and surface tension. Overall, it was more effective than the broth obtained by solid-state fermentation for weed control because it presented an average inhibition of 40% of weed growth and 45% lower surface tension if compared to the control test. Also, reductions of 1.4–4.2 times of root dry mass, 2.9–5.8 times of shoot dry mass and 1.2–3.9 times of weeds heights, if compared to the control test, were achieved.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Bioherbicide
• fermentation
• microorganism
• secondary metabolites
• weeds

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for the scholarships and National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq) for financial support. G. L. Zabot (304882/2018-6) and M. A. Mazutti thank CNPq for the productivity grants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico: [Grant Number 304882/2018-6]; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior: [Grant Number 001].