Effects of Carrier Materials and Storage Temperatures on the Viability and Stability of Three Biofertilizer Inoculants Obtained from Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Rhizosphere

Becky Nancy Aloo,Billy Amendi Makumba,Ernest Rashid Mbega,John Baptist Tumuhairwe

doi:10.3390/agriculture12020140

Becky Nancy Aloo, Billy Amendi Makumba + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020140

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Abstract

Biofertilizer technology continues to be derailed by the short shelf life of inoculants. The present study investigated the suitability of wheat-bran (WB), rice-husks (RH), farmyard-manure (FYM), bagasse (BG), and sawdust (SD) in the formulation of potato-derived Klebsiella grimontii (MPUS7), Serratia marcescens (NGAS9), and Citrobacter freundii (LUTT5) under refrigerated (8 °C) and room (25 ± 2 °C) storage. The physicochemical properties of the materials were assessed before sterilization and introduction of the inoculants and assessment of their viability for 8 months. Most of the physicochemical properties of the materials varied significantly (p < 0.05). Bagasse supported the maximum growth of MPUS7 (5.331 log CFU g−1) under refrigeration and LUTT5 (4.094 log CFU g−1) under both conditions. Under room storage, the maximum growth of MPUS7 (3.721 log CFU g−1) occurred in WB. Formulations that remained viable under room storage can easily be integrated into existing agricultural distribution systems that lack refrigeration.

Highlights

Conventional agricultural practices are a major contributor to environmental pollution, global warming, and climate change [1], especially from the use of artificial fertilizers, which are widely associated with greenhouse gas emissions [2]
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different agricultural wastes as carrier materials for the formulation of selected potato rhizobacterial inoculants and to evaluate their survivability and stability at the end of a storage period under two different temperature conditions
The present study investigated the viability and stability of rhizobacterial biofertilizers that were formulated from the five different carrier materials (WB, SD, FYM, RH, and BG) for 8 months (February–September 2019) under refrigeration (8 ◦C) and room storage (25 ± 2 ◦C)

Summary

Introduction

Conventional agricultural practices are a major contributor to environmental pollution, global warming, and climate change [1], especially from the use of artificial fertilizers, which are widely associated with greenhouse gas emissions [2]. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different agricultural wastes as carrier materials for the formulation of selected potato rhizobacterial inoculants and to evaluate their survivability and stability at the end of a storage period under two different temperature conditions. This will inform us on the suitable carriers and storage conditions for the studied rhizobacterial inoculants and others for sustainable agricultural systems

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