Isolation and Characterization of Phosphate Solubilizing Microbes from Rock Phosphate Mines and Their Potential Effect for Sustainable Agriculture

Awais Qarni, Motsim Billah, Khadim Hussain, Sabir Hussain Shah, Waqas Ahmed, Sadia Alam, Aftab Ahmad Sheikh, Laila Jafri, Asia Munir, Kouser Majeed Malik and Naeem Khan
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Awais Qarni: Department of Soil Science, The University of Haripur, Haripur 22630, Pakistan
Motsim Billah: Department of life Sciences, Abasyn University Islamabad campus, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Khadim Hussain: Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Sabir Hussain Shah: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Waqas Ahmed: Department of Microbiology, The University of Haripur, Haripur 22630, Pakistan
Sadia Alam: Department of Microbiology, The University of Haripur, Haripur 22630, Pakistan
Aftab Ahmad Sheikh: Institute of Soil Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Kala Shah Kaku 39020, Pakistan
Laila Jafri: Department of life Sciences, Abasyn University Islamabad campus, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Asia Munir: Soil and Water Testing laboratory for Research, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
Kouser Majeed Malik: Soil and Water Testing Laboratory for Research (Field Wing), Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
Naeem Khan: Agronomy Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: Continuous application of phosphate (P) mineral to soil renders apatite addition during each crop growing season which is of great concern from a sustainable agriculture viewpoint. Use of efficient phosphate solubilizing microbes (PSB) is one of the most effective ways to solubilize this apatite mineral in the soil. The current study targeted hydroxyapatite mines to explore, isolate and characterize efficient P solubilizers to solubilize apatite in the soil. Efficiency of isolated microbes to solubilize rock phosphate (hydroxyapatite) and tri-calcium phosphate (TCP) as well as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACC) activity were tested. Identification and phylogenetic analysis of bacterial and fungal isolates were carried out by 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequence analyses, respectively. The isolated bacterial strains were identified as Staphylococcus sp. , Bacillus firmus , Bacillus safensis , and Bacillus licheniformis whereas fungal isolates were identified as Penicillium sp. and Penicillium oxalicum . Results showed that the impact of identified strains in combination with three phosphate fertilizers sources (compost, rock phosphate and diammonium phosphate (DAP)) was conspicuous on maize crop grown in pot. Both bacterial and fungal strains increased the P uptake by plants as well as recorded with higher available P in post-harvested soil. Penicillium sp. in combination with compost resulted in maximum P-uptake by plants and post-harvest soil P contents, compared to other combinations of P sources and bio-inoculants. Screening and application of efficient P solubilizers can be a better option to utilize the indigenous phosphate reserves of soil as well as organic amendments for sustainable agriculture.

Keywords: rock phosphate; solubilization; isolation; characterization; maize; compost; DAP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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