Grape pomace (GP) from Vitis labrusca, the main byproduct from "American table wine" production, is recalcitrant to degradation, and its accumulation is a serious problem with negative environmental impacts. In this work, transformation of grape pomace using a steam pretreatment followed by incubation of GP during a 90-day period with six different fungi were evaluated. Several fungi tested reduced the phytotoxicity of water-soluble fraction (WSFd) from steam-pretreated GP after 90 days' incubation to lettuce and tomato seeds. U. botrytis caused the largest effective phytotoxicity reduction of WSFd (used in the concentration range of 10-1.25% p/v) and was the only fungus causing the removal of monoaromatic compounds. Therefore, this procedure with U. botrytis effectively reduces the availability of phytotoxic monoaromatic compounds in GP, which opens a way for the development of guidelines for the management of these wastes and their potential use as organic amendments in agricultural soil.
Keywords: Fungi; Grape pomace; Ulocladium botrytis; Vitis labrusca; Waste revalorisation.
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