Phosphate Solubilization by Enterobacter cloacae and its Impact on Growth and Yield of Wheat Plants

Abstract

The most efficient phosphate solubilizing bacterial strain was isolated from rhizosphere of healthy rice plants and identified as Enterobacter cloacae (B1) based on morphological and biochemical characteristics and 16S r DNA. The optimum phosphate solubilization conditions for pH, temperature and incubation period were obtained at 8, 30 °C and 3 days, respectively. Accordingly, Enterobacter cloacae (B1) was evaluated under field conditions through its impact on growth and yield characteristics of wheat (Triticumaestivum L.) cultivar Masr 1 in comparison with chemical fertilizers (phosphoric acid,calcium super phosphate and NPK). Results of this study showed that, Enterobacter cloacae (B1) effectively increased growth characteristics including plant height (cm) (9.96 %), fresh weight (g/plant) (86.78 %), dry weight (g/plant) (58.36 %) and flag leaf area (cm2) (53.68 %) and physiological characteristics including chlorophyll pigments content, chl. a, b and total (µg/cm2) (31.91 %, 35.81 % and 33.33 %, respectively)as well as yield characteristics such as spike length(cm) (13.14 %), spikelets number (13.58 %), grains number/spike (23.16 %), 1000 kernels weight (g) (6.49 %), spike weight(g) (29.37 %), biological weight(g/m2) (55.92 %) and grains weight(g/m2) (41.18 %) in comparison with control treatment.