Allison Newhart, Vice Chancellor and General Counsel | North Carolina State University
Allison Newhart, Vice Chancellor and General Counsel | North Carolina State University
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique to encapsulate plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPBs) for improved plant growth and protection against pests. This method stabilizes the bacteria, making it possible to create customized probiotics for plants.
John Cheadle, co-lead author of the study and a Ph.D. student at NC State, explains: “Many of the beneficial bacteria we know of are fairly fragile, making it difficult to incorporate them into practical, shelf-stable products that can be applied to plant roots or leaves.” The study presents a solution that combines these bacteria with agrochemicals without compromising their viability.
The research focuses on PGPBs like Pseudomonas simiae and Azospirillum brasilense. These microbes help plants extract nutrients and protect them from pathogens. Saad Khan, co-corresponding author and INVISTA Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State, states: “A longstanding challenge for making use of these bacteria has been that if you tried to come up with a single application that combined them with agrochemicals...the bacteria would die.”
The researchers used an emulsion composed of saline solution containing PGPBs and biodegradable oil mixed with cellulose polymer. This allows for simultaneous application with agrochemicals. Tahira Pirzada, co-corresponding author and research scholar at NC State notes: “A healthy plant microbiome allows the plants to make better use of nutrients available in the soil.”
Two tests were conducted to evaluate the emulsion's effectiveness. The first test showed significant improvement in bacterial survival rates when stored in the emulsion compared to saline alone. Mariam Sohail, co-lead author and recent Ph.D. graduate from NC State said: “Ultimately, we found our technique allows us to incorporate multiple active ingredients into a single delivery system.”
The second test involved incorporating pesticide fluopyram into the emulsion which demonstrated sustained pest control over 72 hours compared to rapid action in saline alone.
Next steps include greenhouse testing as noted by Khan: “We will likely want to evaluate different PGPBs and other active ingredients.” The paper titled "Pickering Emulsion for Enhanced Viability of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria..." is published in Advanced Functional Materials.
This research was funded partly by Global One Health Academy at North Carolina State University.
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