PHOSPHATE SOLUBILIZING MICROBES: A SUSTAINABLE TOOL FOR HEALTHY AGRICULTUREMuskan Sharma, Drishti Gupta, Mandeep Prakash Parhi, Sarda Gurung, Hritwick Parasar1 and Ajay KumarAbstract Phosphorous is second most essential element after nitrogen which is required by plants for their growth and development. Plant requires phosphorous for molecules like ATP, nucleic acids, and phospholipids but its availability is 0.2% of plant dry weight. Phosphorous is present in soil in organic and inorganic form but it isnât available for plants as it is in insoluble form. A sufficient amount of phosphorous for plant during early stages of development is important which lay down the primordial of plant reproductive parts. To satisfy phosphorus requirements farmers uses chemical fertilizers, however synthesis of these chemical fertilizers requires high energy input, and it also has long term impact on environment in view of eutrophication, carbon footprint and soil fertility depletion. These environment concerns had led to search of environment friendly or sustainable mode of phosphorus uptake. In this regard phosphate solubilizing microorganism has been reported as best option for P nutrition uptake of plants. This review focuses on these phosphate solubilizing microorganism (PSM), their mechanism on how they help in uptake of phosphorous, impact of phosphate solubilization on plant growth and future scenario of their use to manage a sustainable environmental system. |