North Carolina, March 17 -- Researchers have successfully demonstrated a technique for encapsulating bacteria, which can subsequently be preserved and applied to plants to promote their growth and protect them from pests and infections. The technique paves the way for a variety of crop applications that will enable farmers to use these beneficial bacteria in conjunction with agrochemicals.

"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," says John Cheadle, co-lead author of a paper on the work and a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University. "The technique we demonstrate here essentially stabi...