Author(s)

Eman A. H. Mohamed^1,2*, Azza G. Farag^2,3, Sahar A. Youssef³

¹Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt.
²Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Taif, KSA.
³Department of Virus and Phytoplasma Research, Institute of Plant Pathology Research, Agriculture Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.

Plants need phosphorus for many physiological activities in a form of phosphate anions. Three different bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis PH, Serratia marcescens PH1, and Serratia marcescens PH2), recently isolated from tomato plant rhizosphere, have high phosphate solubilization index (SI from 2.8 to 3.2) on Pikovskaya agar medium (which contains calcium phosphate). Moreover, phosphate release from calcium in Pikovskaya broth over 5 days is increasing with cell growth for the different isolates. The most efficient phosphate solubilization case is the mixed culture of the 3 strains (OD₄₇₅ is almost 1). On the other hand, pH values decreased dramatically with time due to organic acids secretion and the maximum acidification level is recoded for Serratia marcescens PH2 (pH = 1.94). Interestingly, the isolates are resistance to important pesticides (oxamyl, thiophanate methyl, and captan) that are commonly used in the sampling area. This resistance is very favorable and increases the persistence of the phosphate solubilizing bacteria in contaminated soils. The isolates are therefore plant symbionts and growth promoting agents.

Phosphate Solubilization, Pikovskaya Medium, Bacillus subtilis , Serratia marcescens

Mohamed, E. , Farag, A. and Youssef, S. (2018) Phosphate Solubilization by Bacillus subtilis and Serratia marcescens Isolated from Tomato Plant Rhizosphere. Journal of Environmental Protection, 9, 266-277. doi: 10.4236/jep.2018.93018.