A Strategy for Stable, On-Seed Application of a Nitrogen-Fixing Microbial Inoculant by Microencapsulation in Spray-Dried Cross-linked Alginates

Microbial inoculants are environmentally sustainable alternatives to petrochemical-derived herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers in agriculture. We demonstrated the potential develop a commercializable Klebsiella variicola product with storage on-seed stability by encapsulating cross-linked alginate matrix (CLAM) powder spray drying. The microencapsulation drying (‘CLAM process’), an industrially scalable one-step strategy, produced K. variicola-loaded CLAM up ∼1 × 1010 CFU/g powder. maintained high viability during encapsulation, slurrying, adhesion onto seed surfaces (∼7 105 CFU/seed) ambient on corn seeds. long-term (>5 months) controlled environments, such as refrigerated, or oxygen moisture-free environments. Trehalose maltodextrin when added successfully extended under conditions, while alone had limited impact. Encapsulation bare seeds beyond 3 months.