Resumen
- Oxisols from the Colombian high plains contain up to 400 mg/kg of phosphorus; however, the fraction available to plants is less than 3.5 mg/kg, requiring supplementation with phosphoric fertilizers. Plants can adapt through interactions with soil phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB). Oxisols might be a source of PSB, but we ignore its diversity in the Colombian high plains. This research aims to characterize and identify PSB isolated from Oxisols from this region. By sampling soil from transitory crops and the savanna, we obtained 42 isolates. Fourteen strains showed phosphate solubilization indices from 1.2 to 2.4. We selected the M15 and M18 strains due to their high acid phosphatase activity with 297.7 ± 89.6 and 638.3 ± 31.2 μg of PNPP/mL/h, respectively. These two isolates promoted plant growth in greenhouse rice plants. Through the 16S rRNA gene sequence, we identified the two strains within the genus Burkholderia. This research extends the knowledge of the PSB nature-occurring in Oxisols from the Colombian high plains and their capabilities to favor phosphorus availability in soil and promote plant growth.