Current issue
Archive
About the Journal
Editorial Board
Journal Insights
Contact us
Publisher
Article Processing Charge
Editorial Policy
Peer Review Process
Publication Ethics
Guidelines
For Authors
For Reviewers
For Editors
Step-by-step Guide to Article Publishing
How to Promote Your Published Article
Reviewers
RESEARCH PAPER
Impact of carrier materials and binding agents on microbial survival and the physical properties of granular biopreparations
1
Department of Environmental Biotechology, Łódź University of Technology, Wólczańska 171/173, 90-530 Łódź, Poland
2
Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Łódź University of Technology, Wólczańska 213, 90-530 Łódź, Poland
3
Fundational Science Building, Ball State University, 1600 W Ashland Ave, Muncie, IN 47306, United States
Final revision date: 2026-07-23
Acceptance date: 2026-08-24
Publication date: 2026-10-02
Corresponding author
Patrycja Rowińska
Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska, 171/173, 90-530, Lodz, Poland
Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska, 171/173, 90-530, Lodz, Poland
Int. Agrophys. 2026, 40(4): 513-523
HIGHLIGHTS
- High microorganism survivability in granular biopreparation
- Physical properties depend on carrier and binder type
- Bentonite granules: high moisture content, lower density
- Chalk granules: higher compressive strength (>80 N)
- Chalk granules disintegrate faster than bentonite
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The survivability of microorganisms in a biopreparation during storage is important for its successful application. This study evaluated the survivability of a granular biopreparation based on five selected strains of spore-forming bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus licheniformis, Priestia megaterium, and Paenibacillus amylolyticus. These strains were granulated with different carriers (bentonite, chalk) and binders (water, 50% molasses, post-culture liquid). The results demonstrated high microbial survival, with the chalk-water granulate showing the smallest declines after one year of storage at room temperature: 0.04 log CFU mL g-1 for vegetative cells and 0.03 log CFU mL g-1 for spores. The bentonite-based granules were characterized by high moisture content (up to 65.4%) and lower bulk density. Chalk granules exhibited better compressive strength, exceeding 80 N with molasses as a binder. The tested granule variants also exhibited different dissolution profiles. The chalk-based granules completely disintegrated in water, whereas bentonite-based granules remained intact for 20-28 h, indicating a slower release mechanism. A four-week field study confirmed the prolonged structural integrity of bentonite granules and a corresponding delayed effect on soil microbial populations. The study demonstrates that designing an effective biopreparation requires a holistic approach that simultaneously balances microbial survival, controlled release kinetics, and optimal physical parameters tailored to the agricultural application of the biopreparation granules.
FUNDING
This work was supported by Łódź University of Technology funding programme "FU2N – Fundusz Udoskonalania Umiejętności Młodych Naukowców" grant number 3/2025.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
AUTHORS' CONTRIBUTIONS
Research concept and design: P.R., J.S.; collection and/or assembly of data: P.R., A.O., K.C; data analysis and interpretation: P.R.; writing the article: P.R., A.O., J.S., K.C.; critical revision of the article: P.R., J.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This article was completed while the first and second authors were a Doctoral Candidate of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School at Łódź University of Technology, Poland.
Figure 3 was created in https://BioRender.com
Figure 3 was created in https://BioRender.com
REFERENCES (56)
1.
Bader, J., Albin, A., Stahl, U., Bader, J., Albin, A., Stahl, U., 2012. Spore-forming bacteria and their utilisation as probiotics. Benef. Microbes 3, 67-76. https://doi.org/10.3920/BM2011....
2.
Bashan, Y., de-Bashan, L.E., Prabhu, S.R., Hernández, J.P., 2014. Advances in plant growth-promoting bacterial inoculant technology: Formulations and practical perspectives (1998-2013). Plant Soil 378, 1-33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104....
3.
Beakawi Al-Hashemi, H.M., Baghabra Al-Amoudi, O.S., 2018. A review on the angle of repose of granular materials. Powder Technol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powt....
4.
Berninger, T., González López, Ó., Bejarano, A., Preininger, C., Sessitsch, A., 2018. Maintenance and assessment of cell viability in formulation of non-sporulating bacterial inoculants. Microb. Biotechnol. 11, 277-301. https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7....
5.
Braga, M.B., Rocha, S.C. dos S., Hubinger, M.D., 2018. Spray-Drying of milk-blackberry pulp mixture: effect of carrier agent on the physical properties of powder, water sorption, and glass transition temperature. J. Food Sci. 83, 1650-1659. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3....
6.
Bryndina, L., Ilyina, N., Baklanova, O., Moiseyeva, E., 2019. Comparative evaluation of biostimulator efficiency on corn seeds germination: keratin protein and preparation Ribav Extra. IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci. 392, 012068. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1....
7.
Castrillo, N., Mercado, A., Volzone, C., 2018. Influence of calcium in moisture retention clay. Matéria (Rio de Janeiro) 23, e12098. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1517-....
8.
Catão, A.M.L., Rodrigues, J., Marreto, R.N., Mascarin, G.M., Fernandes, É.K.K., Humber, R.A., et al., 2021. Optimization of granular formulations of Metarhizium humberi microsclerotia with humectants. J. Basic Microbiol. 61, 808-813. https://doi.org/10.1002/jobm.2....
9.
Chen, Z., Jiang, X., 2014. Microbiological safety of chicken litter or chicken litter-based organic fertilizers: A Review. Agric. 4, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.3390/agricu....
10.
Farahat, S., Taha, G., Elnggar, E., AL Molakab, M., 2016. New preparation, characterization and application for coated urea using aswan red clay. J. Soil Sci. Agric. Eng. 7, 907-911. https://doi.org/10.21608/jssae....
11.
Fulton, J., 2025. Physical Properties of granular fertilizers and impact on spreading [WWW Document]. URL https://ohioline.osu.edu/facts... (accessed 10.16.25).
12.
Gąsiorowska, B., Makarewicz, A., Płaza, A., Nowosielska, A., 2009. Grain yield and ear characteristics of maize sown at different dates (in Polish). Fragm. Agron. 26, 55-63.
13.
Gužela, Š., Peciar, P., Peciarová, M., Juriga, M., Fekete, R., Peciar, M., 2024. Mechanics of Particulate Materials. Properties of particulate materials and methods for their measurement (in Slovak). https://doi.org/10.61544/ABRB4....
14.
Haei, M., Rousk, J., Ilstedt, U., Öquist, M., Bååth, E., Laudon, H., 2011. Effects of soil frost on growth, composition and respiration of the soil microbial decomposer community. Soil Biol. Biochem. 43, 2069-2077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soil....
15.
Houida, S., Yakkou, L., Kaya, L.O., Bilen, S., Fadil, M., Raouane, M., et al., 2022. Biopriming of maize seeds with plant growth-promoting bacteria isolated from the earthworm Aporrectodea molleri: effect on seed germination and seedling growth. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 75, 61-69. https://doi.org/10.1111/lam.13....
16.
Hussain, Z., Cheng, T., Irshad, M., Khattak, R.A., Yao, C., Song, D., et al., 2022. Bentonite clay with different nitrogen sources can effectively reduce nitrate leaching from sandy soil. PLoS One 17, e0278824. https://doi.org/10.1371/journa....
17.
Jotautiene, E., Juostas, A., Vaiciukevicius, E., Domeika, R., 2025. Experimental investigation on dynamics of precision spreading of granular fertilizers. Conf. Eng. Rural Development, Jelgava, 21.-23.05.2022. https://doi.org/10.22616/ERDev....
18.
Juan, Y., Jiang, N., Tian, L., Chen, X., Sun, W., Chen, L., 2018. Effect of freeze-thaw on a midtemperate soil bacterial community and the correlation network of its members. Biomed Res. Int. 8412429. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8....
19.
Kadłubiec, W., Bojarczuk, J., 2003. Evaluation of genotype-by-environment interactions in spring triticale and spring rye lines (in Polish). Biul. Instytutu Hodowli i Aklimatyzacji Roślin 187-193. https://doi.org/10.37317/biul-....
20.
Kakuda, L., Jaramillo, Y., Niño-Arias, F.C., Souza, M.F. de, Conceição, E.C., Alves, V.F., et al., 2023. Process development for the spray-drying of probiotic bacteria and evaluation of the product quality. J. Vis. Exp. (194), e65192. https://doi.org/10.3791/65192.
21.
Kanishka, S., Gnanachitra, M., Kumutha, K., Poorniammal, R., Thiyageshwaari, S., 2025. Formulation breakthroughs: the key to tackling biofertilizer shelf life and quality challenges. J. Pure Appl. Microbiol. 19, 2470-2494. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.....
22.
Lillerand, T., Virro, I., Maksarov, V. V., Olt, J., 2021. Granulometric parameters of solid blueberry fertilizers and their suitability for precision fertilization. Agronomy 11(8), 1576. https://doi.org/10.3390/agrono....
23.
Loide, V., Nikolajeva, J., Rani, A., 2018. Lime fertilizer with prolonged balanced effect period. Res. Agric. 3, 42. https://doi.org/10.22158/ra.v3....
24.
Ławińska, K., Szufa, S., Obraniak, A., Olejnik, T., Siuda, R., Kwiatek, J., et al., 2020. Disc granulation process of carbonation lime mud as a method of post-productionwaste management. Energies (Basel). 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/en1313....
25.
Maroof, M.A., Mahboubi, A., Noorzad, A., Safi, Y., 2020. A new approach to particle shape classification of granular materials. Transportation Geotechnics 22, 100296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trge....
26.
Msimbira, L.A., Naamala, J., Antar, M., Subramanian, S., Smith, D.L., 2022. Effect of microbial cell-free supernatants extracted from a range of ph levels on corn (Zea mays L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seed germination and seedling growth. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.....
27.
Muchtar, S.D., Widajati, E., Giyanto, 2014. Seed coating using probiotic bacteria to maintain sweet corn seed (Zea mays saccharata Sturt.) viability during storage. Bul. Agrohorti 1, 26-33. https://doi.org/10.29244/agrob....
28.
Mustaffa, M.R.A.F., Pandian, K., Chitraputhirapillai, S., Kuppusamy, S., Dhanushkodi, K., 2024. Synthesis of biochar-embedded slow-release nitrogen fertilizers: Mesocosm and field scale evaluation for nitrogen use efficiency, growth and rice yield. Soil Use Manag. 40, e12959. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12....
29.
Narwade, J.D., Odaneth, A.A., Lele, S.S., 2023. Solid-state fermentation in an earthen vessel: Trichoderma viride spore-based biopesticide production using corn cobs. Fungal Biol. 127, 1146-1156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funb....
30.
Obraniak, A., Gluba, T., Ławińska, K., Derbiszewski, B., 2018. Minimisation of environmental effects related with storing fly ash from combustion of hard coal. Environ. Protection Eng. 44(4). https://doi.org/10.37190/epe18....
31.
O’Callaghan, M., Gerard, F.M., 2005. Establishment of Serratia entomophila in soil from a granular formulation. New Zealand Plant Protection 58, 122-125. https://doi.org/10.30843/nzpp.....
32.
Park, J.-K., Seo, S.-I., Han, G.H., Kim, K.-M., Kim, D.-H., Song, J., et al., 2018. Development of microbial formulation and biological properties using Bacillus velezensis GH1-13. KSBB J. 33, 237-246. https://doi.org/10.7841/ksbbj.....
33.
Parveen, N., Mishra, R., Singh, D.V., Kumar, P., Singh, R.P., 2023. Assessment of different carrier materials for the preparation of microbial formulations to enhance the shelf life and its efficacy on the growth of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 39(7), 180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274....
34.
Pylak, M., Oszust, K., Frąc, M., 2019. Review report on the role of bioproducts, biopreparations, biostimulants and microbial inoculants in organic production of fruit. Rev. Environ. Sci. Biotechnol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157....
35.
Rashid, M., Hussain, Q., Hayat, R., Ahmed, M., Islam, M.S., Soufan, W., et al., 2023. Lignite scaffolding as slow-release N-fertilizer extended the SN retention and inhibited N losses in alkaline calcareous soils. ACS Omega 8, 22732-22741. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsome....
36.
Rasse, D.P., Weldon, S., Joner, E.J., Joseph, S., Kammann, C.I., Liu, X., et al., 2022. Enhancing plant N uptake with biochar-based fertilizers: limitation of sorption and prospects. Plant Soil 475, 213-236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104....
37.
Roi, A.O., Skorokhod, I.O., Kurdysh, І.K., 2022. Influence of the complex bacterial preparation azogran on the development of sprouts of cultivated plants. Agriciltural Microbiology 35, 58-65. https://doi.org/10.35868/1997-....
38.
Rosa, R., 2013. Effect of the sowing date and agrotextile covering on the growth and length of vegetation period of sweet… (in Polish). Nauka Przyroda Technologie 7, 2-15.
39.
Rostocki, A., Lasoń-Rydel, M., Wieczorek, D., Ławińska, K., Obraniak, A., 2024. From protein waste to agriculture or the building sector: Exploring the environmental impact of new granulates on soil and water ecosystems. Ecol. Indic. 162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecol....
40.
Rowińska, P., Gutarowska, B., Janas, R., Szulc, J., 2024. Biopreparations for the decomposition of crop residues. Microb. Biotechnol. 17. https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7....
41.
Rowińska, P., Gutarowska, B., Wasilewska, M., Powałowski, S., Szulc, J., 2025a. Physicochemical determinants of storage stability in spore-based bacterial biopreparations for agricultural use. Applied Sciences (Switzerland) 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152....
42.
Rowińska, P., Sypka, M., Białkowska, A.M., Stryjek, M., Nowak, A., Janas, R., et al., 2025b. Evaluating soil bacteria for the development of new biopreparations with agricultural applications. Applied Sci. 15, 6400. https://doi.org/10.3390/app151....
43.
Sahwan, F.L., Wahyono, S., Suryanto, F., 2016. Evaluation of the functional microbial population in pure compost organic fertilizer (Pok) and granular organic fertilizer (Pog) enriched with biofertilizer (in Indonesian). J. Environmental Technology 12(2), 187-196. https://doi.org/10.29122/jtl.v....
44.
Sarbani, N.M.M., Yahaya, N., 2022. Advanced development of bio-fertilizer formulations using microorganisms as inoculant for sustainable agriculture and environment - A Review. Malaysian J. Sci. Health Technol. 8, 92-101. https://doi.org/10.33102/mjosh....
45.
Sharma, M.R., Prasad V..G., Bhatt, S., Aditi, Kumari, A., 2025. Assessment of the applications of agriculturally important microorganism in food, pharmaceutical and agricultural sector. Asian J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 10, 159-171. https://doi.org/10.56557/ajmab....
46.
Singh, V., Kumar, B., 2024. A review of agricultural microbial inoculants and their carriers in bioformulation. Rhizosphere 29, 100843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rhis....
47.
Siuda, R., Kwiatek, J., Obraniak, A., Gluba, T., Olejnik, T.P., Marszałek-Gubiec, A., et al., 2018. Comparison of granulation methods of lime-gypsum fertilizer. Przemysł Chemiczny 97, 1549-1553.
48.
Siuda, R., Kwiatek, J., Szufa, S., Obraniak, A., Piersa, P., Adrian, Ł., et al., 2021. Industrial verification and research development of lime-gypsum fertilizer granulation method. Minerals 11, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/min110....
49.
Skovorodnikov, P. V., Cherepanova, M. V., 2019. Peculiarities of organomineral fertilizer granulation by the pelletizing method (in Russian). Bull. Tomsk Polytechnic University Geo Assets Eng. 330(9), 51-59. https://doi.org/10.18799/24131....
50.
Thirumurugan, D., Asha, S., 2010. Spore forming bacterial biofertilizer for phosphate solubilization and bio-control agent. Int. Sci. J. 1, 51-58.
51.
Trufanov, А.М., Voronin, А.N., Schukin, S.V., 2021. Application of fertilization and microbiological preparations in ecological technologies of agricultural enterprises. IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci. 624, 012234. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1....
52.
Vassilev, N., Vassileva, M., Martos, V., Garcia del Moral, L.F., Kowalska, J., Tylkowski, B., et al., 2020. Formulation of microbial inoculants by encapsulation in natural polysaccharides: Focus on beneficial properties of carrier additives and derivatives. Front. Plant Sci. 11, 523157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2....
53.
Vinayak, M., Babu, B.H., Kumar, A.A., Madhava, M., Kumari, N.R., Ramana, C., 2024. Study the physical properties of fertilizers and plant basin parameters to design the tractor operated round basin maker cum fertilizer applicator for orchard crop. J. Sci. Res. Rep. 30, 487-493. https://doi.org/10.9734/jsrr/2....
54.
Vishwakarma, S.K., Ilyas, T., Shahid, M., Malviya, D., Kumar, S., Singh, S., et al., 2024. Bacillus spp.: Nature’s gift to agriculture and humankind. Microorganisms Sustainability 51, 1-36. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-98....
55.
Zhang, H., Xu, C., Wang, J., 2021. Fertilizer strength prediction model based on shape characteristics. IEEE Access 9, 87007-87023. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS....
56.
Zhuravlev, F.M., Chuprinov, E. V., Lyalyuk, V.P., Kassim, D.A., Lyakhova, I.A., 2020. Study of bentonite clays influence on quality indicators of pellets. Ferrous Metallurgy. Bulletin Scientific, Technical and Economic Information 76, 116-122. https://doi.org/10.32339/0135-....
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 2300-8725 |
| ISSN: | 0236-8722 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
