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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2026, Vol. 62 ›› Issue (7): 1-11.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20250739

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Isolation and Function Analysis of Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria from the Rhizosphere of Phoebe bournei trees in Cunninghamia lanceolataPhoebe bournei Mixed Forests

Qiyan Liu1,Yuting Zhang1,Kai Ding1,Yifan Zhou1,Xiaoming Chen2,Junhong Zhang1,*(),Zaikang Tong1   

  1. 1. Provincial-Ministerial Co-constructed National Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University Hangzhou 311300
    2. Guangxi Forestry Research Institute Nanning 530002
  • Received:2025-12-09 Online:2026-07-10 Published:2026-07-14
  • Contact: Junhong Zhang E-mail:zhangjunhong@zafu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Objective: Previous studies have demonstrated that the mixed plantations of Cunninghamia lanceolata and Phoebe bournei can significantly enhance rhizosphere soil phosphorus bioavailability. Specifically, the rhizosphere soil of P. bournei within these mixed plantations serves as a critical hotspot for phosphorus activation, exhibiting notably higher levels of labile phosphorus, greater abundances of phosphorus-solubilizing functional genes, and increased diversity of phosphorus-solubilizing bacterial communities compared to both pure C. lanceolata plantations and the rhizosphere of C. lanceolata within the mixed stands. However, highly effective phosphorus-solubilizing bacterial strains with demonstrated plant growth-promoting capabilities have not yet been systematically isolated. Therefore, this study systematically isolated and screened phosphate-solubilizing and growth-promoting bacterial strains from the rhizosphere soil of P. bournei in mixed C. lanceolataP. bournei plantation, and verified their growth-promoting effects on the Arabidopsis thaliana and one-year-old clonal seedlings of C. lanceolata, aiming to provide elite germplasm and a theoretical basis for developing tailor-made microbial phosphorus fertilizers suitable for acidic red soils in southern China. Method: Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) were isolated from the rhizosphere of P. bournei on PVK (pikovskaya) selective medium and identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Solubilizing zone diameter (D/d), available-P increment (Mo-Sb colorimetry), IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) production (salkowski method) and biofilm formation (96-well crystal-violet assay) were determined to preliminarily select ten highly efficient strains. These strains were co-cultured with A. thaliana on standard and low-P 1/2 MS plates to identify the most effective strain based on plant biomass. The optimal strain was further evaluated with potted C. lanceolata seedlings. Plant height, ground diameter, biomass, gas-exchange parameters and root architecture were measured to assess the growth promoting effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria. Result: 1) A total of 18 PSBs were isolated from the rhizosphere of P. bournei in C. lanceolata and P. bournei mixed plantation, belonging to 11 genera, with Paenibacillus and Burkholderia as the dominant groups. 2) There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the phosphate-solubilizin ability of 18 strains of phosphate solubilizing bacteria, among which the strain P8 released the highest amount of available P (1 176.36 mg·L?1), but no there was positive correlation existed between the halo size of the phosphorus solubilizing zone and liquid solubilization. 3) All 18 strains of bacteria produced IAA (14.6–22.5 μg·mL?1) and formed biofilms, with P10 having the highest IAA yield. 4) Under low-P conditions, strain P17 increased A. thaliana root biomass by 398.6%, markedly outperforming the full-P treatment. 5) Further pot experiments on Chinese fir showed that P17 raised the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate to (7.44±1.49) μmol·m?2s?1, (64.68±19.55) μmol·m?2s?1and (1.81±0.29) mmol·m?2s?1, respectively, which were all significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.01), and P17 inoculation increased root surface area and root volume by 66.13% and 68.90% (P<0.01), and also enhanced plant height, ground diameter, and total biomass. Conclusion: In this study, 18 phosphate-solubilizing bacterial strains have been isolated from the rhizosphere soil of P. bournei in a mixed C. lanceolataP. bournei plantation. Among them, a highly efficient phosphate-solubilizing Sphingomonas strain P17 is obtained. It can mobilize sparingly soluble P, secrete IAA to optimize root architecture and form robust biofilms for rhizosphere colonization. P17 establishes a positive “microbial activation–root absorption” feedback under P-limiting conditions, and markedly enhances photosynthetic efficiency and root volume. The P17 strain has excellent characteristics such as phosphorus solubilization, plant growth promotion, and adaptation to acidic red soil. It can be used as a core strain for developing specialized microbial P fertilizers for C. lanceolata, offering a new strategy to alleviate replant obstacles and improve P-cycling efficiency in southern plantation forests.

Key words: phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, Cunninghamia lanceolata–Phoebe bournei mixed forests, growth-promoting function, low phosphorus stress, rhizosphere soil

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