Rhizobia enhance acquisition of phosphorus from different sources by soybean plants

Abstract

Some rhizobia can convert insoluble P into available forms for plant growth but the underlying mechanisms for this are not understood. In this study, the function of rhizobia in P acquisition from P sources for soybean was studied. Four rhizobial strains were employed to evaluate their phosphate-solubilizing (PS) activity, their ability to mediate pH changes in growth medium for different P sources, and IAA production. A sand culture experiment using different P sources was carried out to characterize P acquisition changes of soybean plants with or without rhizobium inoculation. Rhizospheric acidification in soybean was further analyzed in hydroponics. Our results showed that all the tested rhizobial strains exhibited significant PS activity for different P sources in the order of Ca-P>Al-P>Phy-P≥Fe-P as indicated by the halo/colony ratio technique and increased Pi percentage in the solid and liquid phases, respectively. Furthermore, all of the rhizobial strains could acidify the growth medium for all P sources except Phy-P, but only three of them produced IAA. Compared to non-nodulated plants, the nodulated plants had greater plant biomass and P content in sand culture for all the tested P sources, especially for Ca-P. Moreover, H+ and total acid exudation was more significantly enhanced in the nodulated plants in hydroponics. Our results suggested that the PS ability of rhizobia is more related to acidification of the growth medium than IAA production. Rhizobium inoculation could enhance P acquisition in soybean, especially on soils where Ca-P is the primary P source, and the primary mechanism for rhizobial-mediated P solubilization appears to be via Pi remobilization of nodulated roots through rhizospheric acidification.