Influence of Different pH Conditions and Phosphate Sources on Phosphate Solubilization by Pantoea agglomerans DSM3493

Pantoea agglomerans DSM3493 was isolated from green house soils collected from Chungchugnam-do province, Gongju-Gun area in South Korea and phosphate solubilization and organic acid production of the strain were assessed using three types of insoluble phosphate sources (Ca phosphate, Fe phosphate and Al phosphate) under three different pH conditions (7, 8 and 9). The highest Ca phosphate solubilization ( $651{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ ) was recorded at pH 7 followed by pH 8 and 9 (428 and $424{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ respectively). The solubilization rate was found to be 80.4, 98.1 and $88.7{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ (for Fe phosphate containing medium) and 9.3, 12.1 and $29.8{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ (for the Al phosphate containing medium) respectively at pH 7, 8 and 9. Though increasing pH of the medium caused reduction in the rate of solubilization of Ca phosphate, solubilization of Fe and Al phosphates enhanced with increasing pH. By contrast, the highest amount of organic acid was produced with Ca phosphate while the lowest was recorded with the presence of Al phosphate. Among the organic acids, gluconic acid production was found to be the highest, followed by oxalic acid and citric acid regardless the source of phosphate. Results can thus be concluded that the production of organic acids appears to play a significant role in the inorganic phosphate solubilization.