Bacillus altitudinis and Bacillus cereus strains improve soil fertility, nutrient acquisition, biomass production, and yield of wheat grown on calcareous soil

作者：Muhammad Zahid Mumtaz, Rahila Aslam, Lingling Li, Shazmina Ghafoor, Shahbaz Nasir Khan, Abbas Muhammad Fahim, Waleed A. A. Alsakkaf, Hayssam M. Ali · 发表于：Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s40538-025-00854-3 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis、Phytase and its Applications、Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems

Abstract Background Mineral-dissolving rhizobacteria are considered ecological friendly rhizonutrifying agents capable of promoting rhizospheric enzymatic activities, microbial biomass, and nutrient availability even under nutrient-deficient alkaline soil conditions. However, comprehensive studies on their effectiveness in calcareous soil are lacking. The current study hypothesized that beneficial rhizobacteria improve soil biochemical properties in calcareous soil through their impact on enzymatic activities, microbial biomass, and nutrient availability in the rhizosphere. Methods Rhizobacterial strains were isolated from wheat rhizosphere and characterized in vitro for their mineral solubilization potential, production of beneficial metabolites, and various enzymatic activities. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of sole and co-inoculation treatments on wheat growth, grain attributes, nutrient availability in soil and absorption in plants, soil enzymatic activities, and microbial biomass accumulation in wheat rhizosphere under calcareous soil conditions. Results The most effective mineral-dissolving rhizobacteria were identified as Bacillus altitudinis (strains SAM1, SAM7, SAM13, and SAM15) and Bacillus cereus (strain SAM9) through 16S rRNA partial gene sequencing. These strains demonstrated the dissolution of insoluble tricalcium phosphate, mica, zinc oxide, and manganese oxide, and promoted nutrient availability in the soil by producing organic acids...