Abstract

One macronutrient needed for plants to function properly is phosphorus (P). Deficits in P can hinder plant growth and development because it is essential to all aspects of plant growth and development. Even though organic and inorganic compounds found in soil contain total P, many of these compounds are fix in soil with Fe, Al in acidic soil and Ca in and hence inaccessible to plants. Alternative methods of providing P are required because many farmers cannot afford to use P fertilizers to reduce P deficits. A class of helpful microorganisms known as phosphate solubilizing microbes (PSMs) is able to hydrolyze both organic and inorganic insoluble phosphorus compounds into soluble P form that is readily absorbed by plants. PSM offers a cost-effective and environmentally beneficial way to combat P scarcity and the plants’ subsequent uptake of it.