Phosphate Solubilizing Microorganisms and Their Use in Sustainable Agriculture: A Review
Kaoutar Nassef, Abdelouahab Sahli, Samira Bouhdid, Nadya Mezzoug, Jamal Abrini, El Ouardy Khay
Abstract
Global population growth has led to an increase in demand for food. Consequently, enhancing plant growth and increasing crop yields poses a significant challenge for the scientists. This challenge is further complicated by the fact that only 0.1% of phosphorus (P) is available for plants, because the majority of P is bound to other metallic elements in the soil. To compensate this deficiency, chemical P fertilizers is once thought to be the primary solution; however, their continuous use caused additional environmental problems. Soil is a suitable ecosystem for various microorganisms, including Phosphate Solubilizing Microorganisms (PSM), which have the ability to solubilize the inorganic phosphorus and make it available for plant uptake. This review study aims to present an overview of the diversity of PSM, to describe the mechanisms by which PSM solubilize phosphate, as well as the factors that influence each mechanism. Furthermore, reasons for why PSM represents a superior alternative to chemical fertilizers are provided. Finally, we highlight the importance of PSM in promoting plant growth alone or in combination with other soil microorganisms. PSMs may be considered as an eco-friendly solution to overcome the P deficiency; their use is regarded as a new horizon in increasing plant productivity.