Microbial compost plays a crucial role in improving soil health, soil fertility, and plant biomass. These biofertilizers, based on microorganisms, offer numerous benefits such as enhanced nutrient acquisition (N, P, and K), production of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and control of pathogens through induced systematic resistance. Additionally, they promote the production of phytohormones, siderophore, vitamins, protective enzymes, and antibiotics, further contributing to soil sustainability and optimal agricultural productivity. The escalating generation of organic waste from farm operations poses significant threats to the environment and soil fertility. Simultaneously, the excessive utilization of chemical fertilizers to achieve high crop yields results in detrimental impacts on soil structure and fertility. To address these challenges, a sustainable agriculture system that ensures enhanced soil fertility and minimal ecological impact is imperative. Microbial composts, developed by incorporating characterized plant-growth-promoting bacteria or fungal strains into compost derived from agricultural waste, offer a promising solution. These biofertilizers, with selected microbial strains capable of thriving in compost, offer an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative for agricultural practices. In this review article, we explore the potential of microbial composts as a viable strategy for improving plant growth and environmental safety. By harnessing the benefits of microorganisms in compost, we can pave the way for sustainable agriculture and foster a healthier relationship between soil, plants, and the environment.

The environmental impact of industrial development has been well-documented. The use of physical and chemical methods in industrial development has negative consequences for the environment, raising concerns about the sustainability of this approach. There is a growing need for advanced technologies that are compatible with preserving the environment. The use of fungi products for nanoparticle (NP) synthesis is a promising approach that has the potential to meet this need. The genus Trichoderma is a non-pathogenic filamentous fungus with a high degree of genetic diversity. Different strains of this genus have a variety of important environmental, agricultural, and industrial applications. Species of Trichoderma can be used to synthesize metallic NPs using a biological method that is environmentally friendly, low cost, energy saving, and non-toxic. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of Trichoderma metabolism in the synthesis of metallic NPs. We discuss the different metabolic pathways involved in NP synthesis, as well as the role of metabolic metabolites in stabilizing NPs and promoting their synergistic effects. In addition, the future perspective of NPs synthesized by extracts of Trichoderma is discussed, as well as their potential applications in biomedicine, agriculture, and environmental health.

Recently, the application of cobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co₃O₄NPs) has gained popularity owing to its magnetic, catalytic, optical, antimicrobial, and biomedical properties. However, studies on its use as a crop protection agent and its effect on photosynthetic apparatus are yet to be reported. Here, Co₃O₄NPs were first green synthesized using Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower extract and were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission/scanning electron microscopy methods. Formation of the Co₃O₄NPs was attested based on surface plasmon resonance at 210 nm. XRD assay showed that the samples were crystalline having a mean size of 34.9 nm. The Co₃O₄NPs at 200 µg/ml inhibited the growth (OD₆₀₀ = 1.28) and biofilm formation (OD₅₇₀ = 1.37) of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) respectively, by 72.87% and 79.65%. Rice plants inoculated with Xoo had disease leaf area percentage (DLA %) of 57.25% which was significantly reduced to 11.09% on infected plants treated with 200 µg/ml Co₃O₄NPs. Also, plants treated with 200 µg/ml Co₃O₄NPs only had significant increment in shoot length, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight in comparison to plants treated with double distilled water. The application of 200 µg/ml Co₃O₄NPs on the Arabidopsis plant significantly increased the photochemical efficacy of PSII (ΦPSII) and photochemical quenching (qP) respectively, by 149.10% and 125.00% compared to the control while the non-photochemical energy dissipation (ΦNPQ) was significantly lowered in comparison to control. In summary, it can be inferred that Co₃O₄NPs can be a useful agent in the management of bacterial phytopathogen diseases.

Gray leaf spot is a devastating disease caused by Stemphylium lycopersici that threatens tomato-growing areas worldwide. Typically, many pathogenesis-related and unrelated secreted proteins can be predicted in genomes using bioinformatics and computer-based prediction algorithms, which help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of pathogen-plant interactions. S. lycopersici-secreted proteins were predicted from 8997 proteins using a set of internet-based programs, including SignalP v4.1 TMHMM v2.0, big-PI Fungal Predictor, ProtComp V9.0 and TargetP v1.1. Analysis showed that 511 proteins are predicted to be secreted. These proteins vary from 51 to 600 residues in length, with signal peptides ranging from 14 to 30 residues in length. Functional analysis of differentially expressed proteins was performed using Blast2GO. Gene ontology analysis of 305 proteins classified them into 8 groups in biological process (BP), 6 groups in molecular function (MF), and 10 groups in cellular component (CC). Pathogen-host interaction (PHI) partners were predicted by performing BLASTp analysis of the predicted secreted proteins against the PHI database. In total, 159 secreted proteins in S. lycopersici might be involved in pathogenicity and virulence pathways. Scanning S. lycopersici-secreted proteins for the presence of carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme)-coding gene homologs resulted in the prediction of 259 proteins. In addition, 12 of the 511 proteins predicted to be secreted are small cysteine-rich proteins (SCRPs). S. lycopersici secretory proteins have not yet been studied. The study of S. lycopersici genes predicted to encode secreted proteins is highly significant for research aimed at understanding the hypothesized roles of these proteins in host penetration, tissue necrosis, immune subversion and the identification of new targets for fungicides.

Introduction: Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is the plant pathogen of Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB), which causes yield loss in rice.Methods: In this study, the lysate of Xoo bacteriophage X3 was used to mediate the bio-synthesis of MgO and MnO₂. The physiochemical features of MgONPs and MnO₂NPs were observed via Ultraviolet - Visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission/Scanning electron microscopy (TEM/SEM), Energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectrum (FTIR). The impact of nanoparticles on plant growth and bacterial leaf blight disease were evaluated. Chlorophyll fluorescence was used to determine whether the nanoparticles application were toxic to the plants.Results: An absorption peak of 215 and 230 nm for MgO and MnO₂, respectively, confirmed nanoparticle formation via UV–Vis. The crystalline nature of the nanoparticles was detected by the analysis of XRD. Bacteriological tests indicated that MgONPs and MnO₂NPs sized 12.5 and 9.8 nm, respectively, had strong in vitro antibacterial effects on rice bacterial blight pathogen, Xoo. MnO₂NPs were found to have the most significant antagonist effect on nutrient agar plates, while MgONPs had the most significant impact on bacterial growth in nutrient broth and on cellular efflux. Furthermore, no toxicity to plants was observed for MgONPs and MnO₂NPs, indeed, MgONPs at 200 μg/mL significantly increased the quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry on the model plant, Arabidopsis, in light (ΦPSII) compared to other interactions. Additionally, significant suppression of BLB was noted in rice seedlings amended with the synthesized MgONPs and MnO₂NPs. MnO₂NPs showed promotion of plant growth in the presence of Xoo compared to MgONPs.Conclusion: An effective alternative for the biological production of MgONPs and MnO₂NPs was reported, which serves as an effective substitute to control plant bacterial disease with no phytotoxic effect.