Arbuscular mycorrhizae and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, biofertilizers from sustainable agricultural systems

Abstract

Savanna soils have low natural fertility, acid pH and low levels of N, P and organic matter content. Most of these soils are Oxisols or Ultisols and sustain agricultural systems that have  been intensively fertilized affecting biological properties of soils. To improve this condition, conservation practices like green manures and addition of slow release phosphate fertilizers (rock phosphates) have been applied in an agroecosystem located in Espino, Guárico state. To observe the impact of this management practice on the soil we monitored Glomalean arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and calcium phosphate solubilizing bacteria in Sorghum bicolor rhizosphere after three years of cultivation under these conditions. Most favorable management will increase phosphate solubilizing bacteria populations and intensity of Sorghum mycorrhizal colonization. Sorghum mycorrhizal colonization was low during the first year (2-8% Root Length Mycorrhization, RLM). Former fertilization and management could influence the low colonization capacity of soil natural inoculums. After three years, Sorghum  mycorhizal  colonization  slightly increased (6-15% RLM) and number of spores decreased (169-315 spores/100 g soil). A slight increase of this parameter was only observed when green manure was absent (169-235 spores/100 g soil), meaning that natural vegetation positively affected AM fungal spores abundance. When legume manure was applied, phosphate solubilizing bacteria populations increased in Sorghum rhizosphere (1,8 x 10⁵ cfu/g soil). Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus circulans y Burkholderia cepacia were identified as acid soils autochthonous phosphate solubilizing bacteria.