Microbial strains, compositions, and methods for increasing available phosphate for plants
The present invention provides novel phosphate-solubilizing fungal strains, compositions comprising novel phosphate-solubilizing fungal strains, and methods of using novel phosphate-solubilizing fungal strains to increase the availability of phosphate for plant uptake in soil. In some embodiments, one or more of the novel phosphate-solubilizing fungal strains is coated onto a seed.
1. A method of increasing the availability of phosphorus for plant uptake from a soil, said method comprising introducing into the soil an inoculum that comprises at least one of the Penicillium bilaiae strains listed below:
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50777;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50778;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50779;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50780;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50781;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50782;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50783;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50784;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50785;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50786;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50787;
the Penicillium bilaiae strain having the deposit accession number NRRL B-50788.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum is introduced into the soil in an amount ranging from 1×10 1 to 1×10 8 colony-forming units per hectare.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum is introduced into the soil in an amount ranging from 1×10 6 to 1×10 12 colony-forming units per hectare.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum is introduced into the soil as a seed coating.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said seed coating comprises 1×10 1 to 1×10 8 colony-forming units per seed.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said seed coating comprises 1×10 2 to 1×10 6 colony-forming units per seed.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein said inoculum is coated on leguminous plant seeds.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said leguminous plant seeds are soybean seeds.
9. The method of claim 4 , wherein said inoculum is coated on non-leguminous plant seeds.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said non-leguminous plant seeds are corn seeds.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum further comprises a phosphorus source.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum further comprises one or more plant signal molecules.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum further comprises a lipo-chitooligosaccharide (LCO).
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said LCO is obtained from a species of Rhizobia selected from the group consisting of Rhizobium spp., Bradyrhizobium spp., Sinorhizobium spp., Mesorhizobium spp., and Azorhizobium spp.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum further comprises a chitinous compound.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum further comprises a chito-oligomer (CO).
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum further comprises a flavonoid.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said flavonoid is luteolin, apigenin, tangeritin, quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, fisetin, isorhamnetin, pachypodol, rhamnazin, hesperetin, naringenin, eriodictyol, homoeriodictyol, taxifolin, dihydroquercetin, dihydrokaempferol, genistein, daidzein, glycitein, catechin, gallocatechin, catechin 3-gallate, gallocatechin 3-gallate, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin 3-gallate, epigallocatechin 3-gallate, cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin or petunidin.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inoculum further comprises jasmonic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and/or a karrikin.
20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a source of phosphorus to the soil.