Evaluation of recycled bioplastic pellets and a sprayable formulation for application of an Aspergillus flavus biocontrol strain

Abstract Biocontrol of Aspergillus flavus using inoculated bioplastic granules has been proven to be effective under laboratory and field conditions. In the present study, the use of low-density pellets from recycled bioplastic as a biocontrol strain carrier was evaluated. Applying recycled bioplastic pellets inoculated with biocontrol A. flavus NRRL 30797 to two soils with different levels of indigenous A. flavus , resulted in a rapid 55% and 63% decrease in percent aflatoxigenicity in A. flavus isolates from low and high population soils, respectively. The decrease was significantly more rapid using lower-density recycled bioplastic pellets than using higher-density bioplastic granules, but aflatoxin production by indigenous soil A. flavus decreased to comparable levels in two months. A sprayable bioplastic formulation prepared from inoculated recycled bioplastic pellets was effective in delivering adherent biocontrol A. flavus to corn leaves, and in promoting a 4-fold increase in recovered non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus DNA one week later.