Selection and Characterization of Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria Isolated from the Rhizosphere of Three Cultivated Legumes in Morocco | Chapter 08 | Advances and Trends in Biotechnology and Genetics Vol. 1
Phosphorus is the most important nutrient for the growth and development of plants. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are known to influence plant growth by enhancing the availability of soluble P. This study aimed to isolate PSB from the rhizosphere of three cultivated legumes (fava bean, chickpea, and green peas) and evaluate their plant growth promotion (PGP) traits. The capacity of isolates to solubilize unavailable phosphate was quantitatively evaluated in both agar plate and broth assays using National Botanical Research Institute's phosphate (NBRIP) medium. One hundred twenty-seven (127) PSBs were isolated from fifteen fields at different locations in Meknes, and according to their phosphate solubilization activity in vitro, eight of these isolates showing the greatest solubilization activity were selected for 16S rDNA sequencing. The selected isolates were further tested for other PGP traits, such as N2 fixation activity, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis, and ...