Monday, November 9, 2009
P27

Biofertilizer production bioprocess using vinasse and cheese whey in the media composition

Emilce Viruel1, Faustino Sineriz2, and Maria E Lucca1. (1) Fermentations, PROIMI-CONICET, Belgrano y Caseros, Tucuman, Argentina, (2) Fermentation Department, PROIMI and FBQF, Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, Belgrano y Caseros, Tucumán, Argentina

The plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can solubilize hardly soluble phosphate and produce phytohormones, antibiotic and siderophores. A bacterial strain, Pseudomonas tolaasii  IEXb, (Access number FM202487) isolated from high altitude soils (Puna Argentine North West) with P-solubilizing activity and siderophores presence was selected. The growth-promoter effect was also previously demonstrated on maize plants. The use of inexpensive sources (industrial and agricultural wastes) for Pseudomonas tolaasii IEXb production was studied in this work. Molasses wastewater (vinasse) and cheese whey protein concentrate were used as natural media. The strain was inoculated (102 /ml) in 100ml Erlenmeyer flasks with 50ml of vinasse media (M1 and M2), whey plus cerelose medium (MEL) and vinasse plus whey media (MEL10 and MEL 50). Biomass concentrations in the order of 1010 cfu/ml were reached in all media tested. The strain was able to growth in vinasse concentrations up to 50% v,v.  5 L of M1 medium (10% vinasse v,v; MgSO4 0.1g.L-1; KH2PO4 1 g.L-1)  was selected to scale up  the production in a 10L fermentor (Microferm) under controlled conditions (pH 7, 60% oxygen saturation, 200 rpm, 37ºC).  4 x 1013   total viable colonies were obtained and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of M1 medium showed a decrease of 25% respect of the initial value. Results showed the feasibility of scaling up the biomass production bioprocess since the low cost of natural media could lead to biofertilizer application for sustainable crop production.
Supported by CIUNT 26/D434

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