Solubilisation of phosphate rock to sugarcane by the yeast Torulaspora globosa

• Grant number: 19/07322-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2019
• End date: February 28, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Dal'Ava Mariano
• Grantee: Aline Poncio
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There is enormous diversity of micro-organisms species in the rhizosphere and, among them, many fungi and yeasts that show ability to solubilise phosphorus (P) from soil and low solubility inorganic compounds. These micro-organisms are called phosphate solubilisers. The yeast Torulaspora globosa, isolated recently from a soil that has been cultivated with sugarcane for many years, shows high capacity to solubilise P from tricalcium phosphate, an inorganic P compound of very low solubility in water. The objective of this research project is to study the P mobilization from a Brazilian phosphate rock by the yeast T. globosa and the subsequent acquisition of this P by sugarcane plants. The first part of the study will be done at the laboratory to confirm the phosphate solubilisation capacity of the yeast. Micro-organisms of T. globosa will be grown in vitro on a culture medium inoculated with the phosphate rock and the resulting P solubilised will be measured. The second part of the study will be done in the greenhouse, where young plants of sugarcane will have their roots inoculated with T. globosa and will be grown in pots filled with soil fertilized with the phosphate rock. We expect to assess the potential of soil-plant-micro-organism interactions on the utilization of P of less soluble sources.