7 Tropical Endophytic Bacillus Species …
171
2008). This is due to different properties of this group of bacteria, including the
ability to form endospores, allowing them to adapt to extreme abiotic conditions
such as temperatures, pH, radiation, desiccation, ultraviolet light, or pesticide exposure (Bahadir et al. 2018). In addition, endospores enable greater resistance of stock
products by increasing shelf life of Bacillus-based products.
The commercial success of a PGPB-based product requires viable and economical
market demand, consistent and broad spectrum of action, safety and stability, low
cost and availability of adjuvants, marketing of bioinoculant products, and interaction
between academia and industry. As part of the future of bioinoculants, research
should focus on optimizing growth conditions and increasing the shelf life of PGPBbased, the product should not be toxic to plants and animals must tolerate severe
environmental conditions, increase crops production and be cost-effective for farmers
use (Mustafa et al. 2019). Most of these conditions are observed in Bacillus-based
products, which have great potential to be used in integrated agricultural production
systems, which justifies the screening and characterization of new strains.
Many products both soild and liquid of PGPB formulated with Bacillus strains
are already available in the market in different countries where they are applied as
biofertilizers, phytostimulators, rhizoremediators, and bio-pesticides to attain varied
benefits for better plant growth (Table 7.2).
Recently, the microbiology research group of Embrapa Maize & Sorghum in
a partnership with the Bioma Company (bioma.ind.br) registered and started the
commercialization of BiomaPhos
® , a consortium of two Bacillus strains, B. megaterium (CNPMS B119) and B. subtilis (CNPMS B2084) inoculants for phosphate
solubilization. This liquid inoculant, recommended for seed treatment or in sowing
furrow spray, associates with the plant since the beginning of root formation. The
bacteria present in the product multiply and colonize the plant rhizosphere initiating the production of organic acids that solubilize the phosphorus fixed calcium,
aluminum, and iron present in the soil portion in contact with the plant roots (rhizosphere), making it readily available for plant absorption and assimilation. In addition,
BiomaPhos
® also acts in the mineralization of phosphorus present in soil organic
matter (phytate), giving greater contribution to the crop.
The Biomaphos
® is an interesting example of the different stages between the
beginning of the scientific research and the product available to the farmers in tropical conditions. One of the strains, B. megaterium (CNPMS B119) was isolated from
rhizosphere of tropical P-efficient maize genotypes and characterized as P solubilizing and mineralizing, presenting high phosphatase activity (Oliveira et al. 2009).
The other strain, B. subtilis (CNPMS B2084), is an endophytic strain isolated from
maize roots, characterized as high organic acids producer and P solubilizer (Abreu
et al. 2017). Both strains separately can increase biomass, shoot nutrient content,
and root surface area in controlled and field condition. When maize was inoculated
with strain B2084, there was 12% increase in yield and the inoculation with B119
improved grain P accumulation by 21% comparing with the non-inoculated control.
Under TSP fertilization, there was a significant increment on yield of approximately
26% of maize plants inoculated with B119. Moreover, plants inoculated with B119
strain showed 24% increase in P grain content comparing with the non-inoculated
171
2008). This is due to different properties of this group of bacteria, including the
ability to form endospores, allowing them to adapt to extreme abiotic conditions
such as temperatures, pH, radiation, desiccation, ultraviolet light, or pesticide exposure (Bahadir et al. 2018). In addition, endospores enable greater resistance of stock
products by increasing shelf life of Bacillus-based products.
The commercial success of a PGPB-based product requires viable and economical
market demand, consistent and broad spectrum of action, safety and stability, low
cost and availability of adjuvants, marketing of bioinoculant products, and interaction
between academia and industry. As part of the future of bioinoculants, research
should focus on optimizing growth conditions and increasing the shelf life of PGPBbased, the product should not be toxic to plants and animals must tolerate severe
environmental conditions, increase crops production and be cost-effective for farmers
use (Mustafa et al. 2019). Most of these conditions are observed in Bacillus-based
products, which have great potential to be used in integrated agricultural production
systems, which justifies the screening and characterization of new strains.
Many products both soild and liquid of PGPB formulated with Bacillus strains
are already available in the market in different countries where they are applied as
biofertilizers, phytostimulators, rhizoremediators, and bio-pesticides to attain varied
benefits for better plant growth (Table 7.2).
Recently, the microbiology research group of Embrapa Maize & Sorghum in
a partnership with the Bioma Company (bioma.ind.br) registered and started the
commercialization of BiomaPhos
® , a consortium of two Bacillus strains, B. megaterium (CNPMS B119) and B. subtilis (CNPMS B2084) inoculants for phosphate
solubilization. This liquid inoculant, recommended for seed treatment or in sowing
furrow spray, associates with the plant since the beginning of root formation. The
bacteria present in the product multiply and colonize the plant rhizosphere initiating the production of organic acids that solubilize the phosphorus fixed calcium,
aluminum, and iron present in the soil portion in contact with the plant roots (rhizosphere), making it readily available for plant absorption and assimilation. In addition,
BiomaPhos
® also acts in the mineralization of phosphorus present in soil organic
matter (phytate), giving greater contribution to the crop.
The Biomaphos
® is an interesting example of the different stages between the
beginning of the scientific research and the product available to the farmers in tropical conditions. One of the strains, B. megaterium (CNPMS B119) was isolated from
rhizosphere of tropical P-efficient maize genotypes and characterized as P solubilizing and mineralizing, presenting high phosphatase activity (Oliveira et al. 2009).
The other strain, B. subtilis (CNPMS B2084), is an endophytic strain isolated from
maize roots, characterized as high organic acids producer and P solubilizer (Abreu
et al. 2017). Both strains separately can increase biomass, shoot nutrient content,
and root surface area in controlled and field condition. When maize was inoculated
with strain B2084, there was 12% increase in yield and the inoculation with B119
improved grain P accumulation by 21% comparing with the non-inoculated control.
Under TSP fertilization, there was a significant increment on yield of approximately
26% of maize plants inoculated with B119. Moreover, plants inoculated with B119
strain showed 24% increase in P grain content comparing with the non-inoculated