The incorporation of various additives into the sodium
alginate solution has been shown to enhance inoculant
survival and populations within alginate beads (Yu et al.
2001). Bashan et al. (2002) found the addition of SMP
(0Æ75%) significantly increased the levels of the plant
growth promoter (PGP) strain Azospirillium brasilense
within alginate beads and showed that these beads
degraded faster in soil than beads without SMP, resulting
in a more rapid release of the inoculum. Vancov et al.
(2005) found that the addition of 1% SMP to alginate
encapsulated Rhodoccoccus strain NI86 ⁄ 21 increased their
degradation rate of atrazine and enhanced the survival
rate of the strain under storage conditions