Phosphorus Solubilizing Microorganisms

Abstract

The phosphorus pollution of the chemosphere and biosphere has become a serious environmental issue. The main reason for this pollution may be considered as the extensive and unconscious use of chemical fertilizers and animal feeds containing phosphorus in agricultural and farming activities. On the other hand, phosphorus is an essential element of our ecosystem that needs to be supplied externally for all organisms. Nevertheless, the organisms especially plants cannot uptake the majority of the soil or aquatic phosphorus for their growth; therefore, it needs to be converted into soluble forms. Many microbial species can catabolize both organic and inorganic forms of phosphate into the soluble phosphate and provide the rhizosphere with sufficient phosphorus. These phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms are promising as effective biological approaches to address environmental phosphate pollution and polluted fecal wastes of animal farms. As a component of the rhizosphere, they can be applied to the soil, sprouts, and seeds to provide the crops with usable phosphorus. In this chapter, brief literature review on phosphate pollution, phosphate-solubilizing microbial species, and their enzymes are provided. Moreover, the role of these microbes in plant growth, the application methods in agriculture, and the factors affecting microbial survival are mentioned. © 2021 Scrivener Publishing LLC. © 2021 Scrivener Publishing LLC.