Sustainable Microbial Biostimulant Production by Integrated Bioreactor Fermentation and Membrane Emulsification.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Sustainable Agriculture

Background:

• Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) offer sustainable alternatives to chemical inputs for crop enhancement.
• Commercialization of PGPMs is hindered by ineffective formulation and fermentation technologies.
• Advanced formulation and efficient fermentation are crucial for PGPM survival and application efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop advanced formulation and fermentation technologies for microbial-based biostimulants.
• To investigate membrane emulsification as an encapsulation method for PGPMs.
• To utilize citrus waste biomass for cost-effective biostimulant production.

Main Methods:

• Membrane emulsification was employed to encapsulate the biofertilizer strain *Kosakonia pseudosacchari* TL13 in alginate capsules.
• *K. pseudosacchari* TL13 biomass was produced via bioreactor fermentation using citrus waste.
• Simultaneous encapsulation of the microorganism and fermentation-derived bioactive compounds was performed.

Main Results:

• Membrane technology provided efficient formulation quality and high microorganism loading and survival with reduced shear stress.
• Citrus waste biomass conversion yielded high concentrations of microbial biomass and exopolysaccharides.
• The entire fermentation broth was utilized for biostimulant production, simplifying downstream processing.

Conclusions:

• Membrane emulsification is an effective and scalable technology for producing high-quality microbial biostimulants.
• Utilizing food waste as a substrate offers a sustainable and cost-effective approach to biostimulant production.
• The integrated strategy enhances process efficiency and minimizes environmental impact in biostimulant manufacturing.