Hydrogel capsules as new approach for increasing drying survival of plant biostimulant gram-negative consortium

Several plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are gram-negative, and their cell viability is affected during the bio-inoculant production. Hence, formulation-drying processes provide challenges that limit the adoption of these beneficial microorganisms in sustainable agricultural production. Among delivery system strategies for gram-negative PGPB, the encapsulating cells in biopolymeric materials are emerging as a promising alternative. This research aims to evaluate the effect of additives and crosslinking agents on the survival of the consortium of Herbaspirillum frisingense AP21, Azospirillum brasilense D7, and Rhizobium leguminosarum T88 in hydrogel capsules. Three crosslinkers and diverse potential drying protectors were tested. Calcium gluconate provides notable consortium survival advantages regarding colony-forming units (CFUs) (losses of up to 4 log CFU) compared to calcium lactate and calcium chloride (up to 6 log CFU). Additives such as skimmed milk, whey protein, and Gelita® EC improve the recovery of viable cells after the drying process, demonstrating an increase in cell survival of the three bacteria by up to 4 log CFU. The combination of these substances into a capsule prototype extends the storage stability of bacterial consortium up to 3 months at 18 ± 2 °C. This study expands the knowledge for formulating gram-negative PGPB consortium, regarding the crosslinker and drying protector relationship on encapsulation processes with drying survival and further storage stability performance. KEY POINTS: • Hydrogel immobilization formulation approach for PGPB consortium • Enhancing drying survival of gram-negative PGPB consortium • Increasing storage stability of PGPB consortium at 18 °C.