Agricultural inoculants Flashcards
What are the features of successful PGPB for formulation development?
Enhance plant growth Ability to survive and multiply in the target plant rhizosphere Ability to efficiently colonise roots Ability to compete with others Ease for mass multiplication Broad-spectrum of action Excellent and reliable control Compatible with other PGPB Safe for the environment Should be able to tolerate desiccation, heat, oxidising agents, and UV radiation
What are the grower’s interests?
Maximum yield Compatibility with routine field practices Easy to use Reasonable price Compatibility with seeding equipment Tolerance of storage abuse Ability to work under different field conditions and different types of soils Ability to survive the time needed
What are the manufacturer’s interests?
Shelf life
Reproducible results
Human, animal, and plant safe
Describe primitive inoculants
Seeds and plants inoculated with bacterial culture suspension
Isn’t practical for growers
Describe liquid inoculants
Microbial cultures amended with substances to improve stickiness, stability, and surfactant and dispersal abilities
Usually in water but sometimes in mineral and organic oils
Additives such as sucrose, glycerol, and gum Arabic are added
Describe inoculants with organic carriers
Formulation as solid powder, pellet, or slurry Lignite Charcoal Peat Cocopeat Compost Sugarcane filter mud bagasse Cork
Describe soil made inoculants
Large scale cyanobacterial inoculants are produced using soil from their habitats
Describe synthetic formulations
Based on polymers
What are the advantages of synthetic formulations?
Longer shelf life Appropriate survival at destination Ease of manufacturing Sufficient cell density Improved performance
What are the disadvantages of synthetic formulations?
Raw materials are expensive
Require more expensive handling
What materials are used in synthetic formulations?
Alginite Agar Carrageenan Pectin Chitosan Bean gum
What are some inoculation techniques?
Seed treatment Soil inoculation Seedling drip Foliar spray Hive insert Fruit spray
