View article

It is urgent to find ways to utilise the accumulated recalcitrant phosphorus (P) in soil, as natural rock phosphate reserves are at a verge of depletion. Phosphate-solubilising microorganisms (PSMs) can be a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach to address the problem. A pot culture experiment was carried out to evaluate the changes in various inorganic fractions of P in an Inceptisol vis a vis their availability to the plant using PSMs. A bulk surface soil sample was obtained from New Delhi (pH = 8.30) and after processing, three levels of P and three levels of PSM (No-PSM, phosphate-solubilising bacteria (PSB), and phosphate-solubilising fungi (PSF)) were applied in a completely randomised design with three replications. Soybean (Glycine max) was grown as test crop. By and large, various P fractions followed the order: Ca-bound P (Ca-P, 46.9%) > residual-P (RES-P, 22.8%) > reductant-soluble P (RS-P …