Shivani Chaturvedi

Bioaugmented composting of Jatropha de-oiled cake and vegetable waste under aerobic and partial anaerobic conditions.

This study was conducted to assess the effect of microbial inoculation in Jatropha cake composting with different vegetable waste. The microbial inoculums composed of fungal strains (Aspergillus awamori, Aspergillus nidulans, Trichoderma viride, Phanerochaete chrysosporium) and bacterial inoculums (Pseudomonas striata as phosphorus solublizer and Azotobacter chroococcum as nitrogen fixer) were added to the compost mixture after the thermophilic phase was over for bioaugmenting of Jatropha cake under aerobic and partial anaerobic conditions. Addition of both fungal and bacterial inoculum with mixed substrate (Jatropha cake + vegetable waste) during composting (aerobic and partial anaerobic) showed, better results as compared to compost with only fungal inoculants. Increased enzymatic activity initially, during composting (like dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase activity and FDA) proved role of inoculated microbes in rapid decomposition. Analysis of compost (with both bacterial and fungal inoculum) showed presence of high humus (12.7%), humic acid (0.5%), fulvic acid (5.68%), soluble protein content and low C/N ratio. Decreased in concentration of extractable metals (Cu, Fe and Mn) were recorded at maturity in all the substrate composts. The C/N ratio was significantly correlated to parameters like humic acid, humus, fulvic acid, protein and also microbial activity parameters. We conclude that the composting of de‐oiled Jatropha cake with different vegetables waste could be feasible and sustainable approach in recycling of agricultural and industrial residues in huge quantities.

Composting effects of Pongamia pinnata on tomato fertilization

In the present investigation, tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) was grown in garden soil amended with increasing concentrations (0%, 1%, 2% and 3%) of composted de-oiled seed cake of Pongamia pinnata (karanj) in order to study the effect on morphological (length of plant, leaves per plant, number of flowers and fruits and fruit yield), chemical and nutritional (moisture, total soluble solids, acidity, Vitamin C, protein, reducing sugars, lycopene and pectin) properties of the tomato. The results revealed that adding composted Pongamia cake to soil has a significant positive influence on yield for 35 days and 60 days of transplant. Substantially high yields were obtained in soils mixed with 3% composted Pongamia cake. Such effects could not be attributed solely to the chemical and physical properties of the composted de-oiled cake but there must be synergistic effect of karanjin. The application of composted de-oiled cake of Pongamia provides good basal dressing manures in tomato crops.

Influence of Composted Biodiesel Cake on Growth, Yield, and Micronutrient Composition of Tomato

There has been growing interest in commercial plantations of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata because of their ability to produce biodiesel fuel. A substantial portion of the by-product of the biodiesel extraction process is the de-oiled cake. Prior research has demonstrated its potential to be gainfully utilized as organic fertilizer in composted form. The commercial utilization, however, is still a distant dream as more research is required to obtain optimal proportions and demonstrate their efficacy on specific crops. The present study was conducted to assess the influence of composted de-oiled cakes of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata wastes on the growth, yield, color, and macronutrient and micronutrient composition of Lycopersicon esculentum (cultivar Bezosheetal) fruits. The composted cake was added to soil in various proportions. The results indicate that addition of the composted organic wastes improve availability of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca), as well as key micronutrients such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) in soil. Consequently, a significant improvement in yield and protein was observed in the tomato crops grown in the soil applied with specific composted proportions. The availability of micronutrients in the fruit was also enhanced, although there was reduction in color parameters. Thus, Jatropha- and Pongamia-based composted fertilizers have demonstrated their utility as commercially viable alternative to chemical fertilizers.

Bioprospecting microbes for single-cell oil production from starchy wastes

ABSTRACT Production of lipid from oleaginous yeast using starch as a carbon source is not a common practice; therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to explore the capability of starch assimilating microbes to produce oil, which was determined in terms of biomass weight, productivity, and lipid yield. Saccharomyces pastorianus, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Rhodotorula glutinis, and fungal isolate Ganoderma wiiroense were screened for the key parameters. The optimization was also performed by one-factor-at-a-time approach. Considering the specific yield of lipid and cell dry weight yield, R. glutinis and R. mucilaginosa showed superiority over other strains. G. wiiroense, a new isolate, would also be a promising strain for starch waste utilization in terms of extracellular and intracellular specific yield of lipids. Extracellular specific yield of lipid was highest in R. glutinis culture (0.025 g g−1 of biomass) followed by R. mucilaginosa (0.022 g g−1 of biomass) and G. wiiroense (0.020 g g−1 of biomass). Intracellular lipid was again highest in R. glutinis (0.048 g g−1 of biomass). The most prominent fatty acid methyl esters among the lipid as detected by GC-MS were saturated lipids mainly octadecanoic acid, tetradecanoate, and hexadecanoate. Extracellular lipid produced on starch substrate waste would be a cost-effective alternative for energy-intensive extraction process in biodiesel industry.

Food Processing for Increasing Consumption: The Case of Legumes

Abstract Food is a basic necessity of life. However, over the past few decades food quality and safety issues have caused serious concern among consumers on account of their direct association with human health. Unsafe food poses serious risk to the health of consumers, particularly in the developing countries where food contamination is high on account of indiscriminate use of food contaminants and food protectants. The presence of harmful antinutrients and pesticide residues in legumes limits the bioavailability of the essential nutrients. Organic farming and other approaches are effective in dealing with pesticide contamination, but it would take significant time for them to be adopted worldwide. Therefore, a simple, as well as effective solution in the transitional phase is offered by domestic processing techniques. Domestic food processing methods, such as washing, cooking, milling, parboiling, and storage, may provide a simple and effective solution in this context. The nature of the processing operation (viz., physical, chemical, or thermal) plays an important role in this; usually, the processes that utilize the higher temperatures have greater effects on dissipation of antinutrients and pesticide residues. It is concluded that a combination of processing techniques renders food grains safe for human consumption.

Trends in Oil Production from Oleaginous Yeast Using Biomass: Biotechnological Potential and Constraints

In the present scenario of depleting oil reservoir, microbial oil has gained much attention over plant and animal based sources. Among different microorganisms, yeast strains are considered superior source for oil production. The cost of oil produced by yeast could further be lowered using cheaper agro-waste and biomass as substrate. This review focuses on key topics which will help in gaining better understanding to enhance lipid production using yeast strains. The effects of oleaginous yeast co-culturing with microalgae, different cheap carbon sources of biomass, and types of yeast species on oil production were highlighted in the review. An overview of mechanisms of oil production from biomass, viz. pretreatment of biomass, fermentation and oil recovery are also provided. Constraints encountered during the oleogenesis or microbial oil accumulation and their probable solutions along with a section on different by-products obtained during oleo-genesis are also discussed.

Viable Tailored Organic Fertilizer Alternatives From Waste Produced by Bio-Diesel Extraction Process and Tobacco Industry

Rapid depletion of conventional sources of energy and the growing environmental concern of their use warrant urgent attention to look for suitable energy alternatives. In this regard the seeds of Jatropha curcas, constituting 40–50% bio-crude oil are considered as one of the most promising alternatives for the production of bio-diesel. It is estimated that about 1.5 tons de-oiled cake is produced from seeds obtained from one hectare of plantation, utilized for bio-diesel extraction process. Being non-edible due to its toxic contents, cost effective safe disposal of this by-product can only be possible if there is a meaningful utilization. India’s tobacco industry is the second largest in the world after China, having vast area under tobacco cultivation. The wastes from tobacco industry lead to significant environmental pollution that has severe impacts on both flora and fauna. A few studies on this aspect have revealed that Jatropha and tobacco bio-wastes have potential to be used as organic fertilizers. The present study aims at developing appropriate bio-processes and formulation that utilize Jatropha seed cake and waste of tobacco industry as organic fertilizer for improving the growth of Chrysanthemum, a flower variety valued for its beauty and fragrance and having wide applications in cosmetic and perfumery products. Pot experiments were carried out by adding specific proportions of Jatropha de-oiled cake and tobacco waste to normal garden soil. The growth and morphological parameters of Chrysanthemum plants grown in pots prepared by the treated soil were monitored for 4–5 months and the results were recorded. The results have been encouraging as the treatments lead to a significant enhancement in flower growth as well as yield. 11.5% increase in number of buds per plant was recorded for treated soil as compared to the control soil. The number of flowers per plant also recorded an increase of 16% to 24% due to the effect of formulation applied to the soil. Similar trends were observed for other parameters like flower size, flower head size, flower weight and ray floret number. Through experimentation new composted organic fertilizer formulations, tailored to specific commercial crop has been developed. The research findings would enable these bio-wastes to be used as a viable alternative to the energy intensive chemical fertilizers for floriculture, thus contributing to the mitigation of global climate change. This addition in the value chain would improve the financial viability of bio-diesel extraction process. This new synergistic organic fertilizer formulation when used as an alternative to nitrogenous chemical fertilizers would also provide an opportunity to earn carbon credits which is estimated to be € 67904 millions/year.Copyright