Characterizing the growth promotion capabilities of phosphate solubilizing bacterial strains on canola and corn in a greenhouse setting

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Manure generated from hog farming can be a beneficial soil amendment for agricultural crops, since it is highin both nitrogen and phosphate. However, most of the phosphate is insoluble, and since the application regimeis based on nitrogen content, much of this insoluble phosphate accumulates over time. This limits the amountof hog manure that can be applied. In Manitoba, fields near hog farms have reached the limit of allowableadded phosphate, and the transport of manure any great distance becomes cost prohibitive limiting itsapplication to a wider region. While insoluble phosphorous can be effectively solubilized using chemicalacidification with sulphuric acid, mobilization of insoluble phosphorous to crop plants is often inefficient,reducing phosphorous removal into crop material and reducing potential crop yield. Manure solids left behindfrom the acid phosphorous solubilization step can serve as a soil conditioner and if supplemented withphosphate solubilizing, growth promoting bacteria can act as a source of beneficial bacteria for in situphosphate solubilization and mobilization to field crops. In the previous Engage grant, we have shown twostrains of Pseudomonas sp. isolated for KGS Engineering are effective at solubilizing calcium phosphate atnear neutral pH and have some efficacy in promoting plant growth in pure culture and in initial growthchamber studies using canola seeds and seedlings. The purpose of the current Engage+ proposal is to comparethe plant promotion capabilities for plant associated phosphate solubilization as well as further growthpromotion capabilities using Manitoba-relevant seed crops, with a focus on canola, and corn.