This study explores the dual application of Karpuravalli banana plant waste for sustainable material development, focusing on the extraction of wax from banana shoots and the creation of biodegradable packaging films from banana peel powder. Two extraction methods, refluxing and Soxhlet, were used to obtain wax from mature and third leaf shoots, with Soxhlet yielding 4% wax and refluxing producing 2%. The wax exhibited properties similar to commercial natural waxes, with GC-MS analysis revealing a predominant C23 fatty acid. Biodegradable films were developed using banana peel powder, corn starch, glycerol, and wax as a moisture-resistant coating. The wax-coated films showed increased thickness and moisture resistance but decreased transparency and mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and elongation. Both film types achieved over 98% biodegradation in soil. This research highlights the potential of utilizing banana plant by-products for eco-friendly packaging solutions, demonstrating that while the wax improves moisture resistance, further optimization is needed to enhance mechanical performance, thus contributing to sustainable material development from agricultural waste.

Background and aims Nursery and field growth of micro-propagated banana plantlets is influenced by pests, nutrients and substrate quality. This study aims to evaluate the potential of locally produced microbial inoculant to reduce nematode and borer weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) pest effects on micro-propagated banana plantlets and stimulate growth. Methods The potential of locally produced microbial inoculant to reduce nematode and borer weevil pest effects on micro-propagated banana plantlets and stimulate growth was tested in nursery and field conditions. Plantlets were grown in polybags with three substrates (Soil + Coffee husk, Soil + Cocoa pod, and Soil + Empty palm fruit bunch) and two nutrient sources (chemical NPK fertilizer and microbial inoculant) relative to untreated control. Results Significant (P < 0.05) root necrosis occurred following nematode inoculation with/without borer weevil at planting or ten weeks after, with lower necrosis in pesticide and microbial inoculant than untreated control. Similarly, significant (P < 0.01) corm damage occurred following borer weevil inoculation with/without nematode at planting or ten weeks after, with lower corm damage in pesticide and microbial inoculant than untreated control. Although similar nursery growth of micro-propagated banana plantlets was observed across substrates, significant (P < 0.05) variation occurred between nutrient sources, with higher growth for NPK and microbial inoculant than untreated control. Similarly, field growth of banana plantlets was higher for NPK and microbial inoculant than untreated control (P < 0.05). Conclusion These findings open up avenues for further investigation on role of locally produced microbial inoculant as promising option to reduce effects of nematode and borer weevil pests on micro-propagated banana plantlets and stimulate growth.

Fusarium wilt disease severely constrains the global banana industry. The highly destructive disease is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, especially its virulent tropical race 4 (Foc TR4). Selenium (Se), a non-essential mineral nutrient in higher plants, is known to enhance plant resistance against several fungal pathogens. The experiments we conducted showed that selenium (>= 10 mg/L) dramatically inhibited the growth of Foc TR4 mycelia and promoted plant growth. The further study we performed recorded a substantial reduction in the disease index (DI) of banana plants suffering from Foc TR4 when treated with selenium. The selenium treatments (20 similar to 160 mg/L) demonstrated significant control levels, with recorded symptom reductions ranging from 42.4% to 65.7% in both greenhouse and field trials. The DI was significantly negatively correlated with the total selenium content (TSe) in roots. Furthermore, selenium treatments enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activities of peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in banana. After two applications of selenium (100 and 200 mg/plant) in the field, the TSe in banana pulps increased 23.7 to 25.9-fold and achieved the Se enrichment standard for food. The results demonstrate that selenium applications can safely augment root TSe levels, both reducing Fusarium wilt disease incidence and producing Se-enriched banana fruits. For the first time, this study has revealed that selenium can significantly reduce the damage caused by soil-borne pathogens in banana by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and inhibiting fungal growth.

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4), poses a significant threat to banana production globally, thereby necessitating effective biocontrol methods to manage this devastating disease. This study investigates the potential of Bacillus siamensis strain JSZ06, isolated from smooth vetch, as a biocontrol agent against Foc TR4. To this end, we conducted a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments to evaluate the antifungal activity of strain JSZ06 and its crude extracts. Additionally, genomic analyses were performed to identify antibiotic synthesis genes, while metabolomic profiling was conducted to characterize bioactive compounds. The results demonstrated that strain JSZ06 exhibited strong inhibitory activity against Foc TR4, significantly reducing mycelial growth and spore germination. Moreover, scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed substantial ultrastructural damage to Foc TR4 mycelia treated with JSZ06 extracts. Genomic analysis identified several antibiotic synthesis genes, and metabolomic profiling revealed numerous antifungal metabolites. Furthermore, in pot trials, the application of JSZ06 fermentation broth significantly enhanced banana plant growth and reduced disease severity, achieving biocontrol efficiencies of 76.71% and 79.25% for leaves and pseudostems, respectively. In conclusion, Bacillus siamensis JSZ06 is a promising biocontrol agent against Fusarium wilt in bananas, with its dual action of direct antifungal activity and plant growth promotion underscoring its potential for integrated disease management strategies.

Plastic pots used in horticultural nurseries generate substantial waste, causing environmental pollution. This study aimed to develop biodegradable composites from banana pseudo-stem reinforced with agricultural residues like pineapple leaves, taro and water hyacinth as eco-friendly substitutes. The aim of this study is to develop optimised banana biocomposite formulations with suitable reinforcements that balance mechanical durability, biodegradation, and seedling growth promotion properties to serve as viable eco-friendly alternatives to plastic seedling pots. This study was carried out by fabricating banana fibre mats through pulping, drying and hot pressing. Composite sheets were reinforced with 50 % pineapple, taro or water hyacinth fibres. The mechanical properties (tensile, yield strength, elongation, bursting strength), hydrophilicity (contact angle, water absorption), biodegradability (soil burial test), and seedling growth promotion were evaluated through appropriate testing methods. The results show that banana-taro composites exhibited suitable tensile strength (25 MPa), elongation (27 %), water uptake (41 %) and 82 % biodegradation in 60 days. It was observed that biodegradable seedling trays fabricated from banana-taro composite showed 95 % tomato seed germination and a 125 cm plant height increase in 30 days, superior to plastic trays. The finding shows that the study demonstrates the potential of banana-taro biocomposites as alternatives to plastic nursery pots, enabling healthy seedling growth while eliminating plastic waste pollution through biodegradation.

This study aimed to assess the potential of banana-plantain stalk fibers (BPSF) as a raw material for ropes and fabrics used in composites and geotextiles. Fibers were obtained by Biological retting and ropes used for geotextile weaving were obtained by three-strand twisting in order to optimize the mechanical properties of geostalk. The thermal, physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics of the fibers were studied in order to assess the impact of the extraction process on fiber performance. In addition, the microstructure of fibers and ropes was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the results highlighted the presence of cellulose microfibrils parallel to fiber axis and hemicellulose linked by lignin matrix. These constituents are organized in three concentric layers around the lumen. Elementary chemical analyses using X-ray energy dispersion (EDS), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and chemical deconstruction using JaymeWise protocol were carried out to determine the chemical composition of BPSF, which consists of 51.5 % Carbon, 47.07 % Oxygen and mineral salts that can be highly contribute to soil fertilization after degradation. These chemical constituents represent 40 % cellulose, 21.5 % hemicellulose, 24 % lignin, 0.34 % pectin, 7.2 % lip soluble extractable and 7.36 % water-soluble sugars present in BPSF. Thermal properties of BPSF have been investigated showing the initial degradation around 200 degrees C. Physical analysis and uniaxial tensile testing were performed to determine the multi-scale physical and mechanical properties of geostalk. Statistical evaluation using Weibull distribution established an increasing rate of physical and mechanical properties from the finest scale to the macroscopic scale. Thus, from the BPSF to the ropes, titer increases from 42.5 +/- 4.5 g/km to 7983.4 +/- 132 g/km and elongation at break increases from 0.75 +/- 0.29 mm for the fibers to 52.42 +/- 18.91 mm for geostalk. With mass per unit area of 1869 g/m2, the tensile stress of 1281.05 +/- 273 MPa and maximum strength of 15.4 +/- 1.74 kN/m, geostalk is a sustainable woven fabric alternative to geosynthetics for soil reinforcement as other limited

Plastics are the most popular choice for packaging materials due to their strength, flexibility, and affordability. Their non-biodegradability, however, is an environmental concern and a serious human health issue that necessitates the development of sustainable and biodegradable alternatives. Towards this end, lignocellulosic residue from biowaste stands out as a viable option due to its robust structure, biocompatibility, biodegradability, low density, and non-toxicity. Herein, the lignocellulosic fiber from banana peel was extracted by alkali and bleaching treatment, solubilized in 68% ZnCl2 solution, and crosslinked through a series of Ca2+ ion concentrations, and films prepared. Results suggest that increasing Ca2+ ions concentration significantly increases the film's tensile strength but decreases moisture content, transparency, moisture absorption, water solubility, water vapor permeability, and percentage elongation. Films have a half-life of 15.26-20.72 days and biodegrade more than 50% of their weight within 3 weeks at a soil moisture of 21%. Overall, banana peel fiber could aid in designing and developing biodegradable films and offer a sustainable solution to limit the detrimental effects of plastics.

Currently, soil-borne fungal disease (SBFD) have caused a huge damage in agriculture, and small molecule soil disinfectants have been widely used for the prevention and control of SBFD, which could not only kill the chlamydospore of pathogenic fungi, but also completely destroy the microbial community and its functional diversity in the soil, and is not conducive to subsequent plant planting. Therefore, how to effectively inhibit plant pathogenic fungi while maintaining the general balance of microbial population in the soil to facilitate subsequent plant planting come to be critical problem in the prevention and control of SBFD. In this work, a series of polyacrylamide containing quaternary ammonium salts (PAM-X) were synthesized based on the radical copolymerization of acrylamide (AM) and acrylamide containing different quaternary ammonium salts groups (AMX). Owing to the entanglement between polymer chains and soil, PAM-X could be stably absorbed in the soil, thus effectively delaying the free migration of PAM-X chains in soil, and reducing the probability of being leached from soil, which might be the key to obtain novel polymeric quaternary ammonium salts that have less impact on the environment. Banana Fusarium wilt, also known as banana cancer, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), was chosen as a typical soil-borne pathogen disease to verify the rationality of the above thoughts. The results showed PAM-X had well anti-Foc4 activities in soil, and could maintain the general balance of microbial population in the soil, which are almost non-toxic to earthworms in soil and fish, thus provides a new prevention and control method for SBFD.

Traditional sneaker production uses water and soil contamination, due to the use of synthetic fibers and bad waste management. But new solutions have been developed, one of them being the replacement of natural fiber for synthetic fiber, one of the natural fibers is the banana fiber obtained from the pseudostem using mechanical machinery. The purpose of this article is to prove the feasibility of using mechanical and classical procedures to make sneakers but using banana fiber as the main resource by creating a prototype. The prototype will be tested in a laboratory and have these results: flexural strength with no appreciable damage. The rub fastness result is dry 5 and wet 5. The thickness of the sole is 19.4 mm. The Sole flexural strength does not have signs of damage, and the resistance of the shear-floor joint is 8.9N/mm.

Under greenhouse condition, the host response of fifty-nine banana genotypes (Musa spp.) from the Eumusa to the root-lesion nematode (Pratylenchus coffeae) was assessed. In a factorial completely randomized design (FCRD) with five replications, healthy banana suckers of the diploid and triploid accessions were planted in cement pots. Uninoculated controls were included in the experiment as comparison to study the sensitivity of the genotypes. Two varieties (Pisang Lilin and Nendran) with known reaction to lesion nematode were also included as reference clones because of their resistance and susceptibility to P. coffeae. Banana accessions maintained in the pots were inoculated with infective juveniles of root-lesion nematode, P. coffeae at 45 days after planting at the rate of 400 nematodes/pot. Ninety days after inoculation, the plants were harvested to observe the response of the different banana genotypes to P. coffeae. Data were recorded on plant growth (plant height, girth at the base, number of standing leaves, number of roots and weight of the root system), root damage assessment (percentage of infected roots and percentage necrosis) and nematode reproduction. When inoculated with nematodes, the reduction in plant growth attributes was relatively higher in genotypes that were susceptible. The reduction in growth characters viz., plants height, number of roots and root fresh weight were maximum in the diploid genotypes Manguthamng (26.80, 27.2, 33.0 %) and Manohar (25.70, 29.2, 35.2 %) and in the triploid genotypes Kaali, Rajthali, Digjowa, Saapkal, Cheenichampa, Dasaman, Borchampa, Jahaji, Manjahaji, Barjahaji and Sabri when inoculated with Pratylenchus coffeae. Even after nematode inoculation, root investigations showed that resistant and tolerant genotypes had greater numbers of roots as well as high fresh and dry weight of roots. Root and soil population of nematodes assessed at 90 days after inoculation indicated very high population buildup of Pratylenchus coffeae (>28) in diploids Manguthamng and Nendrapadathi and in triploids Jahaji, Manjahaji, Saapkal, Borchampa, Therahaw-1163 and 1164, Ankur-I and Bersain. The rate was the lowest (<9) in the diploid genotypes Kanai Bansi, Kechulepa, M.balbisiana, Athiakol, Bhimkol and Aittakola and in the triploids Karthobiumtham and Ankur-II. The results of the experiment showed that the diploids Musa balbisiana (BB), Aittakola (BB), Bhimkol (BB), Kechulepa (BB), Kanai Bansi (AA) and Athiakol (BB) and the triploid genotypes Kachkel (ABB), Karthobiumtham (ABB) and Ankur-II (ABB) were resistant to Pratylenchus coffeae.