PROFILING THE PHOSPHATE SOLUBILIZING AND NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA FROM THE RHIZOSPHERE OF Talinum fruticosum (L.) Juss

Abstract

Rhizospheric microorganisms play crucial roles in enhancing crop production and soil fertility maintenance and with little or no information on Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere microbiome. This research aimed to profile the phosphate-solubilizing and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (PSB and NFB) inhabiting the Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere, a common vegetable crop in many tropical and subtropical regions. Soils were extracted from the Talinum fruticosum plants grown in Ekosodin Secondary School Farm at Ekosodin, Benin City, Nigeria. Isolation and characterization of PSB and NFB were carried out using cultural, morphological and biochemical, media tests. Bacillus sp., Serratia sp., Enterobacter sp., and Alcaligenes sp. isolated from the Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere were screened for their phosphate solubilizing and nitrogen fixing abilities. Out of many isolates implicated in Talinum fruticosum rhizosphere, only Bacillus sp.was found to be positive for both nitrogen fixing and phosphate solubilization test while Enterobacter sp.was positive for only nitrogen fixing test. This study supports other studies that the rhizosphere of Talinum fruticosum hosts some plant growth-promoting bacteria which when harnessed may lead to sustainable agricultural strategies for improving crop yield.