Isolation of a starch utilizing, phosphate solubilizing fungus on buffered medium and its characterization

A phosphate solubilizing fungus, Paecilomyces marquandii AA1 was isolated from phosphate deficient soil on Pikovskaya’s medium buffered with Tris–HCl pH 8. The organism was identified on the basis of morphological characterization and by sequencing of 18S rRNA gene. The organism could release phosphate from both buffered and unbuffered medium and solubilized rock phosphates from various places. The effect of concentration of ore, temperature, carbon and nitrogen sources on solubilization of rock phosphate was studied. Ammonium salts were the best nitrogen source, followed by asparagine, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, urea and calcium nitrate in that order.