I never noticed before. But Seed inoculant has an expiration date. Dec.31 99. on my container. I purchased 2pkts. this year, any way to expand shelf life. "The front of this package is stamped with the date after which the Inoculiant is no longer effective".

-- Garden Seed (Inocul@nt.com), April 26, 1999

Answers

I would suspect that the "expiration date" is just an estimate - also if they said it was good for a longer period you wouldn't buy more each year, right?

I do not pretend to know more about this subject other than the pharmaceutical industry definitely marks dates sooner that really necessary. Of course if you don't store them "properly" (i.e. a cool, dark, dry place)then it may not last until the date marked. I am generalizing here, just have been seeing a lot of threads worrying about the subject - this is just my 2 cents worth. Yikes!! I just realized there is no "cent" symbol on my new keyboard! I feel outdated...sigh...

-- Kristi (securx@Succeed.Net), April 26, 1999.

I presume you are talking about inoculum for legumes, but the procedure would be similar for rhizobacteria. First, your package may or may not have what you want present. Let's assume that is does. What I do is grow it up on yeast-extract-mannitol medium, suspend it in a glycerol-water mixture and store at -70C [if it is Rhizobium or Mesorhizobium] or 20% glycerol at -20C if it is Bradyrhizobium. It will generally store for decades. Each year one just grows a culture and mixes it with peat or some other carrying agent. Has worked well with me.

Z1

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), April 26, 1999.

Thanks Z1 What I have Rhizobium sp in humus peat. Can I store as is in freezer?

-- gardenseed (inocul@nt.com), April 26, 1999.