The alteration of minerals in rocks and the availability of elements for plant nutrition require long periods of time, and microorganisms are thought to induce the release of potassium and phosphate from rocks. In this context, this work evaluates the role of the yeast Torulaspora globosa, isolated from the sugar cane rhizosphere, in the solubilization of potassium from alkaline ultramafic rock powder. The experiments were performed in liquid medium, with or without agitation, at 30°C with the following treatments: culture medium + alkaline ultramafic; culture medium + yeast suspension; and culture medium + yeast suspension + alkaline ultramafic. The results showed that as much as 38% of the total potassium in the rock was released in the medium with the yeast during a 15-day period of incubation. Acid production may be the mechanism by which the yeast solubilizes potassium because the total acidity increased during the sampling period. Agitation (which increased oxygen availability) resulted in approximately 20% more biosolubilization of the alkaline ultramafic rock than with the static culture. These data indicate the potential for this yeast in biosolubilization processes and biofertilizer production.

Yeasts isolated from sugar cane and maize rhizosphere, leaves and stalks were screened against the phytopathogenic molds Colletotrichum sublineolum and Colletotrichum graminicola, both causal agents of the anthracnose disease in sorghum and maize, respectively. Strains identified as Torulaspora globosa and Candida intermedia were able to inhibit the mold growth, with the first species also exhibiting killer activity. No previous report on the application and potentiality of these yeasts as biocontrol agents were found neither the killer phenotype in Torulaspora globosa.

Neste estudo foi investigado o potencial de um inóculo composto de cultura mista de bactérias e fungos, isolados do landfarming da Refinaria de Paulínia, Brasil, em degradar resíduos oleosos gerados no processo de refinamento de petróleo. O isolamento desses microrganismos foi realizado previamente, supondo-se que estejam melhor adaptados aos hidrocarbonetos de petróleo uma vez que o landfarming consiste em área impactada por deposição de tais compostos. Utilizou-se o teste respirométrico de Bartha e Pramer no intuito de verificar a taxa de biodegradação dos hidrocarbonetos pela cultura mista de microrganismos através da evolução de CO2. Os resultados obtidos para a eficiência da biodegradação não apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significativa (P>0.05) indicando que não houve aumento do processo de biodegradação com o uso do inóculo. A adição de nutrientes (N, P, K) tampouco contribuiu para aumentar a biodegradação do resíduo oleoso estudado.

In this study, the potential for using an inoculum composed of a mixed-culture of bacteria and fungi, isolated from a landfarming at the Paulínia Oil Refinery, Brazil, to degrade oil residues generated in the process of petroleum refinement was investigated. The isolation of these microorganisms was carried out beforehand, assuming that they would be better adapted to petroleum hydrocarbons, as the landfarming consisted of an area impacted by the deposit of such compounds. The Bartha and Pramer respirometric test was used to measure the rate of biodegradation of the hydrocarbons by the mixed-culture of microorganisms via the evolution of CO2. The results obtained with respect to the efficiency of biodegradation showed no significant differences (P>0.05), indicating no increase in the biodegradation process using the inoculum. The addition of nutrients (N, P, K) also did not contribute to an increase in biodegradation of the oil residue studied.

Trichoderma é um dos gêneros de fungos produtores de metabólitos de interesse industrial. O crescimento destes organismos é conseqüência das fontes nutricionais utilizadas, juntamente com as condições físicas de cultivo. Neste trabalho, o sistema automatizado Bioscreen C foi utilizado para avaliar a influência de diferentes fontes nutricionais sobre o crescimento de linhagens de Trichoderma (T. hamatum, T. harzianum, T. viride e T. longibrachiatum) isoladas do solo da Estação Ecológica da Juréia-Itatins (JIES), São Paulo - Brasil. Os cultivos foram feitos em meios líquidos de cultura contendo diferentes fontes de carbono (2%; w / v) e nitrogênio (1%; w / v) a 28ºC, pH 6,5 e agitados a 150 rpm durante 72 h. Os resultados mostraram, conforme esperado, que a glicose é melhor do que a sacarose como fonte de carbono indutora de crescimento das linhagens de Trichoderma testadas, enquanto que, o extrato de leveduras e a triptona foram boas fontes de nitrogênio indutoras de crescimento para os cultivos de T. hamatum e T. harzianum.

Trichoderma is one of the fungi genera that produce important metabolites for industry. The growth of these organisms is a consequence of the nutritional sources used as also of the physical conditions employed to cultivate them. In this work, the automated Bioscreen C system was used to evaluate the influence of different nutritional sources on the growth of Trichoderma strains (T. hamatum, T. harzianum, T. viride, and T. longibrachiatum) isolated from the soil in the Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station (JIES), São Paulo State - Brazil.The cultures were grown in liquid culture media containing different carbon- (2%; w/v) and nitrogen (1%; w/v) sources at 28ºC, pH 6.5, and agitated at 150 rpm for 72 h. The results showed, as expected, that glucose is superior to sucrose as a growth-stimulating carbon source in the Trichoderma strains studied, while yeast extract and tryptone were good growth-stimulating nitrogen sources in the cultivation of T. hamatum and T. harzianum.

Na intenção de reduzir nutrientes e microrganismos das águas de rio, foi estudado um processo alternativo de tratamento, como o sistema construído de áreas alagadas (CWs), em escala de laboratório. Os parâmetros analisados em diferentes pontos do sistema utilizado foram amônia, demanda bioquímica de oxigênio (DBO), demanda química de oxigênio (DQO), cloretos, cor aparente, condutividade, oxigênio dissolvido, magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), silicium (Si), fósforo total, coliformes totais e Escherichia coli, sólidos totais dissolvidos (TDS), turbidez e biomassa da macrófita. Os resultados demonstraram que este sistema alternativo de tratamento de água do rio Corumbataí foi eficiente na remoção dos microrganismos: coliformes totais e Escherichia coli dentre outros parâmetros analisados, em diferentes tempos de tratamento, promovendo melhoria acentuada na qualidade da água tratada.

The aim of this work was to study the constructed wetland system for the treatment of water from the Corumbataí river simulated on a laboratory scale. The parameters analyzed at different points of the system were ammonia, biochemical demand for oxygen (BDO), chemical demand for oxygen (CDO), chlorides, apparent color, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), silicon (Si), total phosphorous, total coliforms and Escherichia coli, total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, and macrophyte biomass. The results demonstrated that this alternative water treatment system was effective in removing the microorganisms (total coliforms and E. coli), among other parameters analyzed, for varying periods of the treatment, promoting notable improvement in the quality of the water treated from the Corumbataí River.

O sistema automatizado Bioscreen C foi utilizado para o crescimento de quatro linhagens de Mucor hiemalis, isoladas do solo da Estação Ecológica de Juréia-Itatins (EEJI), estado de São Paulo, em meios líquidos com uma única fonte de carbono (2%) ou de nitrogênio (1%), pH 5,0, a 25ºC, e agitação de 150rpm por 5 dias. O meio com somente uma única fonte de nitrogênio foi adicionado com 2% de glicose. As leituras de densidade óptica foram realizadas a 540nm, em intervalos de 2h, por cinco dias. Os resultados foram analisados estatisticamente com o Teste de Friedman (alfa = 5%). Os melhores crescimentos foram obtidos com as linhagens M1, M2 e M3, que atingiram o início da fase log em 60 horas de cultivo. As melhores fontes de carbono variaram de acordo com a linhagem estudada, e extrato de levedura provou ser a melhor fonte de nitrogênio para todas as linhagens. Acetato de sódio inibiu o crescimento das quatro linhagens, sendo a M3 a mais afetada. O uso do sistema automatizado foi muito conveniente para as culturas em meio liquido, sendo rápido e automático, constituindo em uma boa técnica para a determinação das condições ambientais ótimas para crescimento de fungos filamentosos.

The automated Bioscreen C system was used for growth of four Mucor hiemalis strains isolated from the soil in the Juréia-Itatins Ecology Station (JIES), São Paulo state, in liquid culture media containing different carbon (2%) and nitrogen (1%) sources, pH 5.0, at 25ºC, and agitated at 150 rpm for 5 days. The medium containing only one nitrogen source had been added with 2% glucose. The readings were taken at lambda = 540 nm, at 2-hour intervals, up to five days. The results were compared using the Friedman Test (alpha = 5%). The best growth was obtained for strains M1, M2 and M3, reaching the log phase in 60 hours. The best carbon sources varied according to the strain, and yeast extract proved to be the best nitrogen source. Sodium acetate inhibited the growth of the four strains, being the M3 strain the most affected. The use of the automated system was very convenient for cultures in liquid media, as it is rapid and automated, providing a good technique for determination of the optimal environmental factors for growth of the filamentous fungi.