AUTHOR=Li Krystal S. , Zeghbroeck J. Van , Liu Qingchun , Zhang Shouan 

TITLE=Isolating and Characterizing Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria From Rhizospheres of Native Plants Grown in Calcareous Soils

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Environmental Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.802563

DOI=10.3389/fenvs.2021.802563

ISSN=2296-665X

ABSTRACT=<p>Many soils including urban soils have high legacy soil phosphorus (P) due to repeated applications of P fertilizers, but a large portion legacy soil P is fixed by calcium in the calcareous soils. Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) have the ability to transfer fixed (non-labile) soil P into bioavailable P. The aim of this study was to isolate P solubilizing bacteria from the rhizospheres of four local native plants [broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus), giant sword ferns (<italic>Nephrolepis biserrata</italic>), sawgrass (<italic>Cladium jamaicense</italic>), and sea ox-eye daisy (<italic>Borrichia frutescens</italic>)] grown in low bioavailable P calcareous soils and to determine their ability to solubilize P. A total of 44 strains of PSB were isolated with 15 of them being identified by sequencing the 16S rRNA genes as <italic>Bacillus flexus, Beijerinckia fluminensis, Enterobacter ludwigii, Enterobacter</italic> sp.<italic>,</italic> and <italic>Pantoea cypripedii</italic>. After a 7-day incubation, these strains reduced pH to &lt;4.27 and increased water-soluble P up to 588 mg L<sup>−1</sup>. <italic>Enterobacter ludwigii</italic> showed superior P solubilizing ability amount PSB isolated. Therefore, the isolated strains from the local native environment have the potential to thrive in local calcareous soils and possess strong ability to transform non-labile P into bioavailable forms for plants to uptake.</p>