Synergistic effect of co-inoculation with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria

The synergistic effect on phosphate solubilization of single- and co-inoculation of two phosphate solubilizing bacteria, Burkholderia anthina PSB-15 and Enterobacter aerogenes PSB-16, was assessed in liquid medium and green gram plants. Co-inoculation of two strains was found to release the highest content of soluble phosphorus ($519{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$) into the medium, followed by single inoculation of Burkholderia strain ($492{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$) and Enterobacter strain ($483{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$). However, there was no significant difference between single inoculation of bacterial strain and co-inoculation of two bacterial strains in terms of phosphorous release. The highest pH reduction, organic acid production, and glucose consumption were observed in the culture medium co-inoculated with PSB-15 and PSB-16 strains rather than that of single inoculation. Based on the plant growth promotion bioassay, co-inoculated mung bean seedlings recorded 9% and 8% higher shoot and root growth, respectively, compared to the control. Therefore, in conclusion, co-inoculation of the strains B. anthina and E. aerogenes displayed better performance in stimulating plant growth than inoculation of each strain alone. However, considering the short assessment period of the present study, we recommend engaging in further work under field conditions in order to test the suitability of these strains as bio-inoculants.