Survival and effectiveness
The formulation of an inoculant plays a very important role in both the survival and effectiveness of an organism. The formulation of an inoculant consists of the carrier, other ingredients and most importantly the micro-organism species, all which can vary greatly between different inoculants. The strain of the micro-organism also varies between different products.
Carriers
• The carrier for a liquid inoculant is sterile broth, consisting of water plus the nutrients the rhizobia was grown in.
• Peat based carriers vary according to the quality of peat, the source and the size of the particles. Higher quality peat-based inoculants will use pre-sterilization to eliminate the risk of competition for nutrients from other non-beneficial organisms and should contain a sticker to assist in adhesion to the seed.
• Granular inoculants use peat, gypsum or clay as carriers.
Importance of pre-sterilization
Pre-sterilizing peat kills background contaminants that may be present in the natural peat. These contaminants may include potential human and plant pathogens which have the potential to spread disease but also can “fight” for nutrients within the inoculant package. Without pre-sterilization, your inoculant will have to battle the competition before it makes it out of the bag. Pre-sterilization helps ensure only beneficial organisms are brought to the field.
