Effect of maintaining activity by addition of sugars for microencapsulated thatch-degrading microorganism

The mowed lawn grass generated by lawn mowing accumulates as a thatch layer. The thatch layer clogging the turf and providing a hotbed for pathogens causes various obstacles toward the turf. The purpose of this study is to reduce the volume of thatch (main component: cellulose) at a low cost by utilizing thatch-degradation bacterium in the world of nature. We prepared capsules containing thatch-degradation bacterium using calcium alginate as a wall material, and soaked them with a sugar solution such as glucose, sucrose or trehalose as a protective agent for long-term stability. Bacillus pumilus NBRC12092 was selected from the results of cellulose degradation tests. In addition, by applying the protective agent treatment to the capsule, the microorganisms in the capsule could be protected from the load due to the drying treatment. A high decomposition activity for the decomposition of cellulose was maintained even after 21 days in the storage assay and cell population was approximately maintained 108 cells/g. The ability was effectively improved by the addition of the protective agent.