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It is urgent to find ways to utilise the accumulated recalcitrant phosphorus (P) in soil, as natural rock phosphate reserves are at a verge of depletion. Phosphate-solubilising microorganisms (PSMs) can be a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach to address the problem. A pot culture experiment was carried out to evaluate the changes in various inorganic fractions of P in an Inceptisol vis a vistheir availability to the plant using PSMs. A bulk surface soil sample was obtained from New Delhi (pH = 8.30) and after processing, three levels of P and three levels of PSM (No-PSM, phosphate-solubilising bacteria (PSB), and phosphate-solubilising fungi (PSF)) were applied in a completely randomised design with three replications. Soybean (Glycine max) was grown as test crop. By and large, various P fractions followed the order: Ca-bound P (Ca-P, 46.9%) > residual-P (RES-P, 22.8%) > reductant-soluble P (RS-P, 11.6%) > Al-bound P (Al-P, 11.0%) > Fe-bound P (Fe–P, 4.06%) > occluded P (OC-P, 2.51%) > soluble and loosely bound-P (SL-P, 1.21%). Application of PSB significantly increased the SL-P by solubilising the Al-P, Fe–P and Ca-P in soil. The PSB increased the dry-matter yield of soybean by ~ 8.41%, whereas, applied PSF had no effect on either soil P fractions or plant dry-matter yield. Combined application of a reduced dose of P along with PSB can be practised in order to utilise native soil P without compromising the crop yield.

Background: Fermented bamboo shoot is commonly consumed as a traditional food among the North Eastern communities of India. Objective: To scientifically validate the mechanism of traditional bamboo shoot fermentation using different additives. Method: Bamboo shoots were fermented using different additives under laboratory conditions for 10 days and analyzed for change in pH, acidity, total bacterial count and Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) count. Results: During fermentation the titratable acidity increased resulting in the decline in pH in all the samples except the one in which acetic acid was added. Microbiological analysis of the samples showed that the population was dominated by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and the count increased from 102 cfu/g to 105 cfu/g at the beginning of fermentation till the end. Thirteen strains were isolated out of which eight were confirmed to belong to the genus Lactobacillus. Based on the biochemical characterization it was confirmed that Lactobacillus genera dominates in all the samples of the fermented bamboo shoot. Conclusion: Bamboo shoots fermented with the help of different additives aided in the fermentation process and act as flavor enhancers and thus can be recommended during fermentation to enhance taste and palatability.