The Open Plant Science Journal
2017, 10 : 123-133Published online 2017 November 17. DOI: 10.2174/1874294701710010123
Publisher ID: TOPSJ-10-123
RESEARCH ARTICLE
The Presence of Beneficial Organisms Associated to N and P Economy in the Rhizosphere of Native Vegetation in an Oligotrophic Savanna of Guárico State, Venezuela
* Address correspondence to this author at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical. Laboratorio de Estudios Ambientales, Apdo. 47058, Caracas 1041A, Venezuela, Tel: 50-212-6051394; E-mail: marcia.toro@ciens.ucv.ve
ABSTRACT
Background:
In natural conditions, tropical plants are adapted to different ecological niches that can be associated to soil microorganisms which play a key role in nutrient cycling like Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and/or nitrogen fixing rhizobia.
Methods:
We report a survey of the presence in a Trachypogon savanna located at Estación Experimental La Iguana (EELI) in Central Venezuela, of some beneficial plant-microorganism associations. In this savanna, plants present a high AM symbiosis affinity. The high mycorrhization and the presence of potential PSB suggest a synergic effect in plant P-uptake.
Results:
After screening the rhizospheres of 25 plant species from the zone, we could isolate a high proportion of potential PSB in relation to the total bacteria number from the rhizospheres of Centrosema venosum and Galactia jussiaeana.
Conclusion:
Therefore, the presence of potential PSB in the rhizosphere of those species constitutes an important finding to discover novel biofertilizers for crop plants.