Microbial inoculation of seed - issues and opportunities

Beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms are viable alternatives to the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers in agriculture. Microbial inoculation of seeds is an ideal mechanism for delivery of high densities of beneficial microorganisms to soil, where they can colonise emerging plant roots. However, the use of seed microbial inoculants has been limited by technical challenges in maintaining high numbers of functional microorganisms on seed during seed treatment and storage. Increased understanding of the interactions between microorganisms, formulation components and the seed is essential in development of new seed inoculant products. There are significant opportunities for seed inoculants in New Zealand agriculture, in particular where conventional agricultural practice cannot be used, such as organic seed production.