Abstract
Piriformospora indica, a mycorrhizal-like fungus able to establish associations with roots of a wide range of plants, supporting plant nutrition and increasing plant resistance and tolerance to stress, was shown to solubilise phosphate applied in the form of animal bone char (HABO) in fermentation systems. The process of P solubilisation was caused most likely by proton extrusion and medium pH lowering. The fungal mycelium was successfully immobilized/retained in a polyurethane foam carrier. Further employment of the immobilized mycelium in repeated-batch fermentation process resulted in at least 5 cycles of P solubilization. The concentration of soluble P increased during the experiment with 1.0 and 3.0 g HABO l−1 and at the end of the 5th batch cycle reached 40.8 and 120 mg l−1, respectively. The resulting final liquid product, without or with solubilized phosphate, was found to significantly increase plant growth and P plant uptake. It can be used as a biostimulant containing microbial plant growth-promoting substances and soluble P derived from renewable sources (HABO) thus supporting the development of sustainable agro-ecosystems.
Highlights
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used for fertilizing crops and controlling pests successfully increasing production capacity of farm systems
The results showed that P. indica grew well in media supplemented with different size of hydroxyapatite of animal bones origin (HABO) particles (Table 1)
Plant beneficial microorganisms produced in fermentation conditions, further formulated as bio-inoculants and applied in soil–plant systems, play an important role in sustainable agriculture by improving soil fertility and crop productivity (Bashan et al 2014; Malusa and Vassilev 2014)
Summary
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used for fertilizing crops and controlling pests successfully increasing production capacity of farm systems. The beneficial microbial effects include promotion of plant growth, biological control of diseases, increases in crop yield, and quality improvement. Beneficial microbial inoculants in agriculture are mainly plant growth-promoting bacteria and fungi that according to their function are grouped in biofertilizers and biocontrol agents. They are formulated products containing one or more microorganisms that enhance the nutrient status and health of the plants by either replacing soil nutrients and/or by making nutrients more available to plants and/or by increasing plant access to nutrients or by producing specific metabolites (Malusa and Vassilev 2014). The development of a biofertilizer starts with isolation/selection/characterization of an effective microorganism and ends with
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