Inorganic and organic phosphate solubilization potential of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Abstract Most soils contain Phosphorus (P) in insoluble compounds as organic and inorganic forms which is unavailable to plants. Furthermore, phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) play an important role in converting insoluble P to a bioavailable form through solubilizing and mineralizing inorganic or organic P. Therefore, this study aims to determine the ability of isolate a phosphate solubilizing bacterium (PSB), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia to solubilize inorganic and organic P. The bacterium was isolated from peat soil of West Kalimantan using Pikovskaya medium added with Ca3 (PO4)2 as the P source. The activity of organic P (acid phosphatase and phytase) was measured using p-nitrophenyl phosphate disodium (pNPP 0.115 M) and sodium phytate as the substrate of bacterial broth culture. Also, the optimization for inorganic and organic P solubilization by the bacterium was conducted. The maximum values of inorganic and organic phosphate solubilization was recorded to be 52.26 μg/mL and 44.51 U/mL (acid phosphatase), 0.13 U/mL (phytase) respectively. Optimum conditions found were temperature at 30 °C, pH 6.0 and in the presence of sucrose and beef extract, which serve as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Therefore, it can probably be used as a biological fertilizer for plants.