DEVELOPMENT OF FIRED CLAY GRANULES AS ECO-FRIENDLY SUBSTANCES FOR NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIAL CELLS

Modified clay granules were used to promote Azotobacter vinelandii cell adhesion. The A. vinelandii cells in the clay granules were used as a biofertilizer and a plant material. The production process was carried out under variable temperatures. The raw ingredients consisted of clay, sawdust waste, and spent coffee grounds in different ratios. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the microstructure. The results of the study showed the addition of sawdust waste and spent coffee grounds had increased the water absorption of the fired clay granules based on their porosity. However, increasing the firing temperature in the range of 900 degrees C- 1100 degrees C decreased the water absorption and porosity and increased the bulk density of the fired clay granules. A. vinelandii was enriched to be used as a cell suspension. The fired clay granules were immersed in a cell suspension to immobilize the A. vinelandii cells for 48 h. The SEM-based investigations indicated that the fired clay granules were suitable for containing A. vinelandii cells. The results demonstrated high viability of bacterial cells fixed in the fired clay granules at 2.7x 10(7) CFU/g. Furthermore, the test results of bacterial cells in the fired clay granules for marigold planting media revealed that it had effectively encouraged plant growth. The nitrogen-fixing bacterial cells in the clay granules obtained from this research were determined to be appropriate for use as an ecological soil replacement in the future.