Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Bioenergy Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #374086
Research Project: Biochemical Technologies to Enable the Commercial Production of Biofuels from Lignocellulosic Biomass

Location: Bioenergy Research

Title: Optimization of lignocellulose-based production of biocontrol agents as biorefinery coproducts

Author
item Slininger, Patricia - Pat
item SCHOEPKE, ANDREW - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Shea Andersh, Maureen
item Dien, Bruce

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2020
Publication Date: 11/20/2020
Citation: Slininger, P.J., Schoepke, A., Shea Andersh, M.A., Dien, B.S. 2020. Optimization of lignocellulose-based production of biocontrol agents as biorefinery coproducts. In: Proceedings of the AICHE 2020 Annual Meeting, November 16- 20, 2020,San Francisco, California. Paper No. 621d..

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Over 80% of Fusarium sambucinum, causative of potato dry rot, are now resistant to the fungicide traditionally used for control, thiabendazole, and chemical substitutes are limited, especially in postharvest potatoes destined for food use. ARS (Peoria, IL) has developed three Pseudomonas spp as biological control agents (BCAs) to serve as alternatives to traditional chemicals for controlling potato dry rot and other maladies, including sprouting, late-blight (incited by Phytophthora infestans), pink rot (incited by Phytophthora erythroseptica), and leak (incited by Pythium ultimum). It is proposed that such Pseudomonas spp., which utilize diverse sugars (including pentoses) and other organic compounds to yield antifungal BCAs, can be developed as valuable coproducts for the lignocellulose biorefining industry, where they can be grown using dilute hydrolysate sugar streams. Our recent results suggest that sugars, acetic acid, and furanaldehydes generated from lignocellulose can be utilized during production of these BCAs. Data will be presented showing BCA viable cell yield and productivity optimization on dilute acid switchgrass hydrolysate as a function of sugar loading, C:N ratio, oxygen transfer rate, phosphate (pH) and growth factor levels. Optimization of population inocula needed for production of triculture with balanced growth of three Pseudomonas strain populations will also be presented, along with a rehydration technique for recovering viable cell activity in dried cell formulations and an evaluation of bioefficacy in Fusarium dry rot suppression.