Isolation of salt-tolerant phosphate-solubilizing bacteria for potential use in saline soil management

Particularly in dry and semi-arid areas, soil salinity and phosphorus deficiency are major factors limiting agricultural productivity (Rhoades and Loveday, 1990). For possible application in saline soil management, the current work sought to separate and describe salt-tolerant phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) from rhizospheric soil samples. Soil samples were collected from saline-affected agricultural fields, and serial dilutions were plated on Pikovskaya’s agar to screen for PSB based on halo zone formation. Selected isolates were further evaluated for quantitative phosphate solubilization in liquid media and tested for salt tolerance on media supplemented with increasing concentrations of NaCl (0–10%). Several isolates demonstrated efficient phosphate solubilization and sustained growth at NaCl concentrations of up to 7%, indicating moderate to high salt tolerance. These strains hold promise as bioinoculants for improving phosphorus availability and promoting plant growth in saline environments. Further studies, including molecular identification and greenhouse trials, are recommended to assess their efficacy under field conditions.