Encapsulation of entomopathogenic fungus using spray drying: sustainable biological control of agricultural pests and diseases

Abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the encapsulation of Beauveria bassiana by
spray drying using biopolymers (maltodextrin, starch, and cellulose nanofibers) as protecting
agents. FTIR confirmed that the polymer backbone was not modified after the fungus
incorporation, while SEM revealed spherical microparticles (± 3 µm) with increased roughness in CNF-containing samples. Viability tests showed 2.9 × 10⁹ CFU/gram, confirming the encapsulation’s efficacy. The results point to a promising advance in developing sustainable, agricultural biopesticides.