Coloured wastewater from the textile industry is a very serious global problem. Among 16 different white-rot fungal isolates, Trametes hirsuta PW17-41 revealed high potential for decolourisation of mixed textile dyes (Navy EC-R, Ruby S3B and Super Black G) from real industrial wastewater samples. The efficiency of dye decolourisation was evaluated using the American Dye Manufacturers’ Institute (ADMI) standard methodology. The suitable support for fungal mycelium immobilisation was nylon sponges. The optimal dye decolourisation (95.39%) was achieved by using palm sugar and ammonium nitrate as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The initial pH was 5 and the agitation speed was 100 rpm at 30 °C. The ADMI values of textile dyes decreased from 2475 to 114 within two days, reducing the treatment time from seven days before optimisation. The major mechanism of dye decolourisation was biodegradation, which was confirmed by UV–visible and FTIR spectra. Manganese peroxidase (MnP) (4942 U L⁻¹) was found to be the main enzyme during the decolourisation process at an initial dye concentration of 21,200 ADMI. The results indicated the strong potential of immobilised fungal cells to remove high concentrations of textile dyes from industrial wastewater and their potential ability to produce high MnP and laccase activities that can be used in further application.

This study investigated the combined effects of novel plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)—Agrobacterium pusense NC2, Kosakonia oryzae WN104, and Phytobacter sp. WL65—and Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed extract (ANE) as biostimulants (PGPR-ANE) on rice growth, yield, and rhizosphere bacterial communities using the RD79 cultivar. The biostimulants significantly enhanced plant growth, shoot and root length, and seedling vigour; however, seed germination was not affected. In pot experiments, biostimulant application significantly increased the richness and evenness of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere, resulting in improvements in rice growth and yield, with increases in plant height (9.6–17.7%), panicle length (14.3–17.9%), and seeds per panicle (48.0–53.0%). Notably, biostimulant treatments also increased post-harvest soil nutrient levels, with nitrogen increasing by 7.7–19.2%, phosphorus by 43.4–161.4%, and potassium by 16.9–70.4% compared to the control. Principal coordinate analysis revealed distinct differences in bacterial composition between the tillering and harvesting stages, as well as between biostimulant treatments and the control. Beneficial bacterial families, including Xanthobacteraceae, Beijerinckiaceae, Acetobacteraceae, Acidobacteriaceae, and Hyphomicrobiaceae, increased in number from the tillering to harvesting stages, likely contributing to soil health improvements. Conversely, methanogenic bacterial families, such as Methanobacteriaceae and Methanosarcinaceae, decreased in number compared to the control. These findings highlight the dynamic responses of the rhizosphere microbiome to biostimulant treatments and underscore their potential benefits for promoting sustainable and productive agriculture.

Phytobacter palmae WL65, isolated from the rice rhizosphere, was confirmed as P. palmae through whole-genome analysis. WL65 exhibited key plant growth-promoting (PGP) characteristics, including nitrogen fixation (nifA, nifB, nifD, nifE, nifF, nifH, nifJ, nifK, nifL, nifS, nifU, nifW, and nifX), phosphate solubilization (pstA, pstB, pstC, pstS, phnC, phnD, phnE, and phnV), siderophore production (fhuA, fhuB, fhuC, fhuD, fhuF, feoA, feoB, feoC, acrA, acrB, acrE, acrR, and acrZ), and phytohormone biosynthesis (trpA, trpB, trpC, trpE, trpGD, trpR, and trpS). WL65 also contains an enterobactin biosynthetic gene cluster, essential for iron acquisition and enhancing both bacterial survival and plant growth. This study provides the first genomic insights into the PGP characteristics of P. palmae. The application of WL65 in rice cultivation as a biostimulant resulted in effective root colonization, supported by biofilm formation genes (pgaA, pgaB, pgaC), which enhance bacterial adhesion. The treatment significantly improved rice growth, increasing plant height (5.8%), panicle length (10.2%), and seed yield (34.5%). Soil analysis revealed improved nutrient availability, including increased organic matter (21%), phosphorus (38.4%), potassium (29.8%), and calcium (27%) levels. These findings suggest that WL65 is a promising biofertilizer candidate for improving soil fertility and nutrient uptake in sustainable agriculture.

Twelve white-rot fungal isolates were evaluated for their potential to produce mycelium leather from rice straw, based on growth characteristics, biomass production, and mechanical properties. Among these, Trametes sp. SW25-2 exhibited rapid growth on culture medium and dense mycelial formation on rice straw substrate. The effects of nutrient supplementation, substrate-to-medium ratio, and processing conditions on mycelium-leather formation were systematically examined. No significant differences were observed among different carbon (glucose, maltose, and sucrose) and nitrogen sources (yeast extract, peptone, and ammonium sulphate), indicating that the fungus effectively utilised rice straw as the primary substrate. An optimal ratio of 1 g rice straw to 10 mL culture medium (90.9% moisture content) enabled complete colonisation and the formation of a compact mycelial structure, achieving a maximum tensile strength of 2.78 MPa under optimised hot-pressing conditions (120 °C, 60 s, 1 MPa). Hot-pressing conditions significantly influenced material properties. A higher temperature (120 °C) increased tensile strength but reduced elongation at break, while a lower temperature (60 °C) produced more flexible materials. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that post-treatment and hot pressing transformed the mycelial network into a dense and cohesive structure. The resulting mycelium leather demonstrated suitable physical properties and was successfully fabricated into prototype products, highlighting its potential as a sustainable bio-based material derived from agricultural waste.