Optimization of Culture Conditions of Phosphate Solubilizing Fungi and Test on the Mangroves

Planting mangrove trees on sandy soil poor in nutrients often encounters many difficulties such as slow growth of seedlings and low resistance to pests. The addition of useful microorganisms as nitrogen fixing and phosphate solubilizing microorganisms to soil will create better conditions for growth and development and increase the resistance for the seedlings. The studies on cultural conditions indicated that two phosphate solubilizing fungal strains, Aspergillus sp. M33 and Aspergillus sp. M72 produced highest biomass in the Czapek medium added with starch or saccharose and meat extract at pH=6, salinity 5-10‰ after 60-84 hours culture. Mangrove plants planted in pots containing soils innoculated with two phosphate solubilizing strains, Aspergillus sp. M33 and Aspergillus sp. M72 showed better growth in terms of the plant height and leaf number.