Phosphate-Solubilizing and -Mineralizing Abilities of Bacteria Isolated from Soils 1 1 Project supported by the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, the Ministry of Education of the P.R. China

• Published in: Pedosphere Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 515 - 523
• Main Authors: TAO, Guang-Can, TIAN, Shu-Jun, CAI, Miao-Ying, XIE, Guang-Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2008
• Subjects: Bacillus sp; Burkholderia sp; inorganic phosphate-solubilizing bacteria; organic phosphorus-mineralizing bacteria; Pseudomonas sp; Burkholderia sp; Bacillus sp; inorganic phosphate-solubilizing bacteria; Pseudomonas sp; organic phosphorus-mineralizing bacteria
• ISSN: 1002-0160; 2210-5107
• DOI: 10.1016/S1002-0160(08)60042-9

Microorganisms capable of solubilizing and mineralizing phosphorus (P) pools in soils are considered vital in promoting P bioavailability. The study was conducted to screen and isolate inorganic P-solubilizing bacteria (IPSB) and organic P-mineralizing bacteria (OPMB) in soils taken from subtropical flooded and temperate non-flooded soils, and to compare inorganic P-solubilizing and organic P-solubilizing abilities between IPSB and OPMB. Ten OPMB strains were isolated and identified as Bacillus cereus and Bacillus megaterium, and five IPSB strains as B. megaterium, Burkholderia caryophylli, Pseudomonas cichorii, and Pseudomonas syringae. P-solubilizing and -mineralizing abilities of the strains were measured using the methods taking cellular P into account. The IPSB strains exhibited inorganic P-solubilizing abilities ranging between 25.4–41.7 μg P mL −1 and organic P-mineralizing abilities between 8.2–17.8 μg P mL −1. Each of the OPMB strains also exhibited both solubilizing and mineralizing abilities varying from 4.4 to 26.5 μg P mL −1 and from 13.8 to 62.8 μg P mL −1, respectively. For both IPSB and OPMB strains, most of the P mineralized from the organic P source was incorporated into the bacterial cells as cellular P. A significantly negative linear correlation (P < 0.05) was found between culture pH and P solubilized from inorganic P by OPMB strains. The results suggested that P solubilization and mineralization could coexist in the same bacterial strain.