Solubilization of phosphates: an important microbial function in plant development
Agriculture is the fundamental basis for the sustainability of food security on the planet, since it represents the main source of food and is part of the economy of developing countries. At the present time, however, the demand for food is greater and there is the need to speed up plant growth to meet the needs of the population and to reduce rates of malnutrition and hunger, but this is used for agricultural practices as the application of chemical fertilizers which significantly affect the environment and the ecosystems of the soil. In hopes of finding solutions, alternative strategies to replace fertilizers have been developed in recent years. The microorganisms have demonstrated compliance functions that keep the balance of the soil and support plant growth through a variety of mechanisms, including the solubilization of phosphates, which can succeed in freeing the phosphate ion accessible for the plant. This item is limited in the soil and is a vital nutrient after the nitrogen for the growth of the plant. The genus Bacillus has been highlighted as a potential solubilizer phosphate and can be used as biofertilizer that will enable them to obtain a quality agricultural product, without generating consequences to the environment.
