Deptt.of Soil Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh.

Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku,Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501, Japan.

 Deptt.of Horticulture, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh

Phosphorus is one of the major nutrients which play an indispensable biochemical role in photosynthesis, respiration, energy storage and transfer, cell division, cell enlargement and several other processes in the living plant. Many soil bacteria and fungi have the ability to solubilize phosphate minerals and make it available to plants. Thus, an attempt was made to isolate and screen potential phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) which can able to solubilize phosphate and be used as biofertilizer in future. Rice rhizosphere soil samples from the different sites of Khulna and Patuakhali district were collected and each sample was enriched in Pikovskaya’s medium, pH 7.5 at 27 ^°C for 5 days. Nine isolates (DMP₁, DMP₂, DMP₃, KNP₄, KNP₅, KNP₆, KKP₇, KKP₈ and KKP₉) were screened using Pikovskaya's liquid medium. Allthe isolates were oval to rod-shaped, motile and gram positive and gram negative. Biochemical tests indicated that they were obligateaerobes, catalase and starch hydrolysis positive. The phosphate released by the isolate ranged from 4.048 mg/L to 21.128 mg/L. The results revealed that the KNP₄, KKP₇, KNP₅, DMP₃ and DMP₂ isolates had potential to solubilize the insoluble phosphate in the salt affected soil.

Keyword: Biochemical;Biofertilizer; PSB;Rhizosphere.