Utilization of phosphorus from apatite and growth of plants inoculated with vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza and phosphate dissolving bacteria

Abstract

An annual grass, Pennisetum ploystechyon (L) Schult and a perennial creeping legume Pueraria phaseoloides took up more P and grew better in an acid soil (pH 4.8) treated with a poorly soluble source of apatite. Inculation of the sterilized soil with a heterogenous mixture of a vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) spores extracted from the soil and with Glomus fasciculatus (E3) spores did not increase plant growth or uptake of P in soil with apatite but growth was increased considerably in soil in soil without apatite. However, inoculation with E3 type spores had no effect on growth or P uptake of Pennisetum . Phosphate dissolving bacteria (PDB) stimulated growth of Pueraria and uptake of P from a soil enriched with apatite.