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Gluconic acid production and phosphate solubilization by the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum spp.

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Abstract

In vitro gluconic acid formation and phosphate solubilization from sparingly soluble phosphorus sources by two strains of the plant growth-promoting bacteria A. brasilense (Cd and 8-I) and one strain of A. lipoferum JA4 were studied. Strains of A. brasilense were capable of producing gluconic acid when grown in sparingly soluble calcium phosphate medium when their usual fructose carbon source is amended with glucose. At the same time, there is a reduction in pH of the medium and release of soluble phosphate. To a greater extent, gluconic acid production and pH reduction were observed for A. lipoferum JA4. For the three strains, clearing halos were detected on solid medium plates with calcium phosphate. This is the first report of in vitro gluconic acid production and direct phosphate solubilization by A. brasilense and the first report of P solubilization by A. lipoferum. This adds to the very broad spectrum of plant growth-promoting abilities of this genus.

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Acknowledgements

Yoav Bashan participated in this study in memory of the late Messrs Avner and Uzi Bashan from Israel. We thank Delfa Redondo from ICIDCA for HPLC analysis, Juan-Pablo Hernandez of CIB for statistical analysis and drawing graphs, and Ira Fogel of CIB for editing the English text. This work was partially supported by Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia of Mexico (CONACYT Grant U39520-Z) and by the Bashan Foundation, USA.

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Rodriguez, H., Gonzalez, T., Goire, I. et al. Gluconic acid production and phosphate solubilization by the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum spp.. Naturwissenschaften 91, 552–555 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-004-0566-0

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