METABOLIC ACTIVITY AND PHOSPHATE-DISSOLVING CAPABILITY OF BACTERIAL ISOLATES FROM WHEAT ROOTS, RHIZOSPHERE, AND NON-RHIZOSPHERE SOIL

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Abstract
Bacterial isolates from the roots of wheat (rhizoplane) were more active in oxidizing glucose and alanine than cultures isolated from rhizosphere and non-rhizosphcre soils. In general, metabolic activity was greater with alanine than with glucose. Over one third of the cultures tested were capable of dissolving insoluble phosphorus in the form of CaHPO4 but the roots did not appear to exert a selective effect on these forms. However, the phosphate-solubilizing organisms from the rhizoplane were also the most active in oxidizing glucose and alanine. Those from the rhizosphere soil were intermediate in this respect. By far the majority of these phosphate-dissolving bacteria were in the nutritional group requiring unknown substances in yeast and soil extracts for optimal growth. It was suggested that although these bacteria were not preferentially stimulated in the root zone, their large numbers and their greater metabolic activity may contribute significantly to the phosphate economy of the plant.