ABSTRACT

Different strains of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) were isolated from the rhizosphere of different plants of different agricultural lands located at Afugiri Ohuhu community Umuahia and Uzuakoli rice plantation. The objective of the study was to explore the capabilities of PSB and evaluate their efficiency to enhance growth of maize plants under various condition. The soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere ofplants at a depth of 6-15cm from the top soil. The purified isolates were identified as Bordetella bronchiseptica, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus respectively based on the characteristic morphological, biochemical behavior and 16SrRNA sequencing. The efficiency of different PSB isolates for phosphate solubilization was evaluated from the zones they formed on agar plates of Pickovaskaya growth medium (agar) by solubilizing the tricalcium phosphate of the medium. The results showed that B. cereus with a phosphate solubilization index of 2.3 was the strongest phosphate solubilizer and maize plant simulated with B. cereus inoculant performed better. There was relative increase in plant height, number of leaves, root length and grain yield in plants inoculated with PSM than in uninoculated plants (control), for all the tested parameters. The results of this greenhouse evaluation are encouraging and need to be confirmed under field condition in combination with organic and chemical fertilizers.