Summary
This narrative review addresses critical barriers to effective plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) delivery in agricultural systems, including desiccation survival, precise root-zone targeting, and competition within the native rhizosphere. The authors propose engineering the seed spermosphere with proteinaceous and polysaccharide coatings as a scalable solution to facilitate PGPB colonisation and beneficial microbiome development. The paper synthesises recent technological advances in microbial inoculant delivery for both legume and cereal crops, whilst emphasising the role of policy and regulatory frameworks in promoting adoption of these sustainable alternatives to chemical inputs.
UK applicability
The approaches reviewed are applicable to UK cereal and legume production systems, particularly in contexts where reducing synthetic fertiliser inputs is a policy priority. However, regulatory pathways for microbe-coated seeds in the United Kingdom would need clarification, and field validation under UK soil and climatic conditions would be necessary before widespread uptake.
Key measures
Review of PGPB delivery mechanisms, microbial survival, root colonisation, and policy frameworks for agricultural adoption
Outcomes reported
This review synthesises advancements in precise and scalable delivery of plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) inoculants via seed microenvironment engineering with proteins and polysaccharides. It examines multifunctional rhizobacteria solutions applicable to both legumes and cereals, and discusses policy frameworks enabling technology adoption.
Topic tags
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