Abstract
Desert soils are infertile, and the ability to improve them by P-fertilization is limited by the solubility of phosphate. We aimed to understand the function of phosphate solubilizing bacteria and the mechanisms behind phosphate solubilization in desert soils. Vegetated and barren desert soils, mine spoil and a fertile temperate grassland loam were sampled. Bacteria and fungi were isolated and identified, and their phosphate-solubilizing abilities were measured in vitro. The release of plant available PO
4
, SO
4
, NO
3
and NH
4
from desert soils did not compare with that of a grassland soil. Desert soils had substantially lower solubilization than grassland, 162 and 99-121 µg PO
4
-P g
−1
dry soil, respectively. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and fungi were inhabiting the soils. Si addition increased phosphate solubilization of fungi by 50%. The isolated microbes were shown, using
31
P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, to rapidly take-up both intracellular and extracellular phosphate during the phosphate solubilizing process. Desert soil had potentially active microbial populations that are capable to solubilize inorganic phosphorus; S and Si as the limiting factors. Acidification as the main mechanism to solubilize mineral phosphate was not as evident in our desert soils as in former studies dealing more fertile soils.