Potential Application of Paenibacillus sp. C1 to the Amelioration of Soda Saline-Alkaline Soil

In this study, a saline-alkaline-tolerant bacterial strain named Paenibacillus sp. C1 was screened and isolated, and its basic properties were characterized. Its phosphorus dissolution, organic acid production, and application on ameliorating soda saline-alkaline soil were studied, and the changes of microbial communities after adding strain C1 with or without rice straws, (NH4)2SO4 and Ca3(PO4)2 were investigated. The results demonstrated that when the nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus sources were (NH4)2SO4, glucose, and Ca3(PO4)2, respectively, strain C1 was in the best phosphorus-dissolving condition. The strain had good characteristics of acid production and phosphorus dissolution under the condition of high salinity and alkalinity. It could secrete cellulases, decompose rice and corn straws, and produce polysaccharides effectively. Strain C1 [especially with rice straws, (NH4)2SO4 and Ca3(PO4)2] could increase the content of available phosphorus (AP), organophosphorus (OP), total organic carbon (TOC), and polysaccharide (PS) and the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in saline-alkaline soil. Furthermore, adding strain C1 [especially with rice straws, (NH4)2SO4 and Ca3(PO4)2] could alter the bacterial flora of soil to make it adapt to high salinity and alkalinity better. Our study can be an important step toward the application of Paenibacillus sp. C1 to the amelioration of soda saline-alkaline soil and the investigation of its deep mechanisms.