Abstract

Fungus-growing termites in Africa and Asia influence nutrient cycling in arid and subarid ecosystems. This experiment investigated the population and function of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) from the rhizosphere soils of paddy fields at 2 and 5 m from termite mounds and without termite mounds with the selective medium. Aluminum phosphate, tri-calcium phosphate, and ferric phosphate in the selective medium were used to determine mineral phosphate solubilization of PSB. The capacity to produce indole acetic acid (IAA) through a spectrophotometer and specific taxonomic groups was also determined. We found that Burkholderia gladioli, Burkholderia glumae and Priestia spp. from the rice field soil at the distance of 5 m from termite mounds predominantly existed, as indicated by high solubilization of aluminum phosphate (103.42–145.46 mg/L) and ferric phosphate (234.93–523.99 mg/L) and IAA production (382.01–586.58 mg/L). These results provide the diversity and potential of PSB in rice soil rhizosphere under ecosystem services with termite mounds. These bacteria may be a variety of microorganisms in the stomachs of termites and earthworms. They have a high potential for enhancing P availability with auxin hormones for plant growth.

Key words: Auxin, Bacteria, Isolation, Orthophosphate, Termite in rice field