INBIOTEC   24408
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES EN BIODIVERSIDAD Y BIOTECNOLOGIA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Chitosan/starch beads as bioinoculants carrier: Long-term survival of bacteria and plant growth promotion
Autor/es:
FERNANDEZ, MACARENA; PEREZ JONAS; BORRAJO PAULA; CREUS CECILIA; PAGNUSSAT, LUCIANA ANABELLA; FRANCOIS NORA
Revista:
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Editorial:
SPRINGER
Referencias:
Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2022 vol. 106 p. 7963 - 7972
ISSN:
0175-7598
Resumen:
Immobilization of microorganisms in biodegradable polymeric matrices constitutes a promising technology for plant growth promoting to overcome the challenging conditions of the rhizosphere. Previously we demonstrated that beads prepared from blends of chitosan/ starch of analytical grades ionically crosslinked are useful carriers for Azospirillum brasilense and Pseudomonas fluorescens. The aims of this work were to study A. brasilense Az39 and P. fluorescens ZME4 immobilization in industrial quality beads produced with a blend of chitosan/ starch, to assess bacterial survival during long-term storage and biofilm distribution in the beads. We also proposed to analyze the consortia root colonization and its performance as plant growth promoting bioinoculants compared to liquid counterpart. Our results revealed that A. brasilense Az39 and P. fluorescens ZME4 can coexist in industrial grade chitosan/starch beads, and this mixed immobilization benefits the survival rates of both species, even for more than a year under shelf storage. Confocal laser scanning microscopy with fluorescent dyed strains showed that both species remain mainly in different locations inside and over the beads. Additionally, maize seed treatment with beads-loaded bacteria resulted in growth promotion of roots in a similar manner than traditional liquid-based inoculation. The evidence collected here demonstrate that low-cost chitosan/starch beads are a suitable carrier for bacteria consortia and could be a reliable alternative to liquid inoculation in agronomic practices with additional benefits for industrial management.