Abstract: Aureobasidium is omnipresent and can be isolated from air, water bodies, soil, wood, and other plant materials, as well as inorganic materials such as rocks and marble. A total of 32 species of this fungal genus have been identified at the level of DNA, of which Aureobasidium pullulans is best known. Aureobasidium is of interest for a sustainable economy because it can be used to produce a wide variety of compounds, including enzymes, polysaccharides, and biosurfactants. Moreover, it can be used to promote plant growth and protect wood and crops. To this end, Aureobasidium cells adhere to wood or plants by producing extracellular polysaccharides, thereby forming a biofilm. This biofilm provides a sustainable alternative to petrol-based coatings and toxic chemicals. This and the fact that Aureobasidium biofilms have the potential of self-repair make them a potential engineered living material avant la lettre. Key points: •Aureobasidium produces products of interest to the industry •Aureobasidium can stimulate plant growth and protect crops •Biofinish of A. pullulans is a sustainable alternative to petrol-based coatings •Aureobasidium biofilms have the potential to function as engineered living materials.
This paper assesses the sustainability performance of the banana value chain by comparing and discussing 25 attributes owing to different sustainability dimensions. The paper identifies critical aspects and provides a qualitative assessment of the sustainabilityperformances of banana chains at the local level. The study finds economic, social, and environmental indicators have moderate sustainability performance in the Arba Minch, Ethiopia. The chain has an advantage in terms of profitability, employment, and emissionof air pollutants; and constraints in terms of coordination, value share, profit margins, market diversity, product and market information, transportation, waste management, and safety and hygiene.
MULTIFILE
Active sachets can be used to manage postharvest losses associated with phytopathogens in fruit and vegetables. Diseases associated with phytopathogens are the principal causes of avocado losses postharvest. This study was performed to develop antifungal active sachet-based oregano oil microencapsulated with starch/agave fructans that allows in vivo and in vitro control of phytopathogens associated with avocado decay. In addition, avocado-sachet interactions were studied. Oregano oil sachets inhibited 100% of the in vitro growth of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Colletotrichum acutatum, Diaporthe passiflorae, and Neoscytalidium hyalinum at 30 °C for 12 d The efficacy of the oregano oil sachets was confirmed on avocados inoculated with C. gloeosporioides. Active sachets reduced the injury area of anthracnose infection in avocado without negative effects on the color or firmness of the fruit, compared to untreated control. Treatment also caused significantly higher (p < 0.05) phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, catalase and peroxidase activities compared to the control fruit. In addition, antifungal sachets significantly enhanced the contents of total flavonoids and phenolic compounds in treated avocados.
