{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T14:24:34Z","timestamp":1785767074801,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,14]],"date-time":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1678752000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Chiang Mai University","award":["32260004"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32260004"]}]},{"name":"Chiang Mai University","award":["RSP2023R56"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RSP2023R56"]}]},{"name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","award":["32260004"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32260004"]}]},{"name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","award":["RSP2023R56"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RSP2023R56"]}]},{"name":"King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia","award":["32260004"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32260004"]}]},{"name":"King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia","award":["RSP2023R56"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RSP2023R56"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>As phosphorus (P) bioavailability is limited in arable lands, chemical fertilizers are being used by farmers to increase crop production. Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) increase the bioavailability of sparingly soluble inorganic and organic soil phosphorus. Therefore, the current study was an effort to evaluate the phosphate-solubilizing efficiency of PSMs using tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and Eppawala rock phosphate (ERP). The efficiency of phosphate solubilization by a series of identified isolates was compared using TCP (5 g L\u22121) and ERP (5 g L\u22121) as a P source in Pikovskava\u2019s broth. Twelve microbial isolates that showed a higher efficiency in phosphate solubilization were selected for the production of the biofertilizer. The isolate F10 in ERP broth was characterized by the highest significant level of available phosphorus (896.98 \u00b1 10.41) mg L\u22121, followed by F5 (Aspergillus sp.) in TCP broth 991.43 \u00b1 1.37 mg L\u22121. A pot trial was carried out by using Capsicum annuum L. as the test plant in two soil conditions: sterilized soil and non-sterilized soil with six treatments and four replicates. The significantly highest plant height, leaf length, and width were shown by chili plants treated with the formulated biofertilizer. Therefore, the application of native PSMs appeared to be an efficient method of solubilizing sparingly soluble P compounds into plant-available forms.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life13030782","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,14]],"date-time":"2023-03-14T06:14:58Z","timestamp":1678774498000},"page":"782","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Isolation of Phosphate-Solubilizing Microorganisms and the Formulation of Biofertilizer for Sustainable Processing of Phosphate Rock"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-9561-2467","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nipuni","family":"Mayadunna","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand"},{"name":"Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale 50300, Sri Lanka"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7080-0781","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Samantha C.","family":"Karunarathna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing 655011, China"},{"name":"National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS), Kandy 20000, Sri Lanka"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Suhail","family":"Asad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biology and Chemistry, Pu\u2019er University, Pu\u2019er 665000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Steven L.","family":"Stephenson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3664-7853","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdallah M.","family":"Elgorban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Salim","family":"Al-Rejaie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3673-6541","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jaturong","family":"Kumla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Neelamanie","family":"Yapa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale 50300, Sri Lanka"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2653-1913","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nakarin","family":"Suwannarach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"4917256","article-title":"Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms: Promising approach as biofertilizers","volume":"7","author":"Kalayu","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. 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