2020
Bacterial biocapsules: Green materials that improve the performance of soybean inoculants
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Contributor/Checkoff:
Pennsylvania Soybean Promotion Board
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Data ManagementDrone/UAS
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Scott Medina, Pennsylvania State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
R2020-12; OSP 213708
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Pennsylvania Soybean Promotion Board
$50,000
Leveraged Funding (Non-Checkoff):
Secured a Penn State IMPACT award to support this project. This award will enable additional training of graduate and undergraduate students on development of this technology, and introduce the students to unique biofermentation resources available on campus. These activities will synergystically enhance the productivity of the funded project.
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Institution Funded:
Pennsylvania State University
$50,000
Brief Project Summary:

This project develops a non-toxic, sustainably sourced additive material that can improve the performance of nitrogen-fixing inoculants for soybeans. The living organisms in rhizobial inoculants can die from excessive heat or cold during storage, as well as stress during application. Plus, native soil organisms compete for resources and can kill them off. This project tests the utility of a new capsule-like material prepared from bio-sourced, bio-degradable and inexpensive building blocks that may protect rhizobia. Efforts optimize loading method and growth rate of rhizobia in biocapsules, test capsule co-loading of soil microorganisms shown to enhance their activity and evaluate the ability of bacteria-loaded capsules to clear soil pathogens and replace with encapsulated rhizobia in model soybean samples.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, extension agents

Information And Results
Project Deliverables

These studies will build off much of the foundational work we have already done to develop the particle platform, and serve to demonstrate feasibility of this technology to enhance soybean yields.
Project deliverables include:
1) optimization of a bio-sourced material that can be added to soil to promote bioinoculant performance;
2) identification of inoculant mixtures that maximize soybean yields; and
3) development of a mold control platform that can prevent crop disease during planting.

Final Project Results

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.