ஐ.எஸ்.எஸ்.என்: 2593-9173
S.A.Sane and S.K.Mehta
Rock Phosphate is the cheapest and abundant Phosphatic fertilizer available but due to its sparse solubility it is not always agronomically effective. Combined application of rock phosphate with phosphate solubilizing microorganisms has emerged as a logical solution to this issue. In the present investigation, random soil samples were collected from sites in and around Vadodara to isolate rock phosphate solubilizing fungal strains. Thirty different fungal strains were chosen for rock phosphate solubilization in 5% senegal rock phosphate as a source of phosphorus in Pikovskayas’s medium. Out of these, three isolates exhibited maximum rock phosphate solubilization i.e., 92 ppm, 381 ppm and 297 ppm in seven days with a considerable decrease in pH. Bio-fertilizer activity of these isolates in combination with rock phosphate was also individually tested on Pennisetum glaucum (bajra) in pots under natural environmental conditions. Most of the biometric parameters were increased after this treatment. The results indicate positive effect of co-application of rock phosphate with phosphate solubilizing fungi on plant growth.