ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ROCK PHOSPHATE SOLUBILIZING BACTERIA FROM A PINE FOREST SOIL CULTURE

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential plant nutrients which is required to be abundant for plant growth and production. Plant-available P depends highly on the soil pH level. Under alkaline conditions, it becomes unavailable and forms insoluble complexes. Phosphorus Solubilizing Microorganisms (PSM) can effectively miner- alize Eppawala Rock Phosphate (ERP) and convert it into plant-available forms. This research focused on increasing availability of plant available P from the ERP mineral. Phosphorus Solubilizing Microorganisms was isolated from the biofertilizer developed from a pine forest soil culture and identified using Pikovskaya Agar under serial dilutions in the pour plate method. Isolated PSM taxonomy was determined using 16S rDNA sequencing. Quantification of P availability by solubilizing ERP minerals was determined using the phosphomolybdate method. From the P solubiliz- ing bacteria identified in pine forest soil culture, Bacillus sp. and Acetobacter sp. showed the most significant (P < 0.05) performance in solubilizing ERP. The en- hancement of available P in soil by incorporating microorganisms has a direct impact on increasing crop establishment, plant growth, and yield production.