The influence of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms on symbiotic nitrogen fixation: Perspectives for sustainable agriculture

Phosphorus is one of the most major macro-element after nitrogen (n) for both plants and microorganisms. however,the availability of p seems to be widely limited in soils due to its chelation with other insoluble compounds. the use of chemical fertilizers based phosphorus is an unsuccessful strategy,because it induces soil and water pollution. moreover,chemical fertilizers could react with other elements such as iron (fe),manganese (mg) and calcium (ca) and precipitate on soil surfaces which reduce the availability of soluble forms of phosphorus. the presence of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms in soil represents a major pathway for solubilizing and releasing inorganic phosphates into soluble forms which could be directly used by plants. indeed,a large number of microorganisms that are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen could be involved in p solubilization mechanisms. here,we emphasize the influence of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (psm) on symbiotic nitrogen fixation,and the exploitation of the most performant strains to reduce land degradation,pollution and to improve sustainable agriculture. © 2017,university of mohammed premier oujda morocco.