Alginate encapsulation significantly increases inoculant
robustness, storage shelf-life and requires minimum control of environmental storage conditions, therefore reducing the associated cost and handling labour (Stephen and
Rask 2000). With the concerns over the release of genetically engineered micro-organisms, the encapsulation technique provides a more a targeted approach for plant
inoculation compared to soil spraying and has potential
for environmental applications (Cassidy et al. 1996).