What are the functions of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in soil improvement?

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens plays multiple important roles in soil improvement, including the following:

improving soil structure

Promote aggregate formation: When Bacillus amyloliquefaciens grows and reproduces in soil, it secretes viscous substances such as extracellular polysaccharides. These substances can bind soil particles together, promote the formation of soil aggregates, create a good pore structure in the soil, increase soil aeration and permeability, and facilitate the growth and respiration of plant roots.

Stable soil structure: The biopolymers produced can encapsulate soil particles, enhance the stability of soil aggregates, reduce soil erosion and compaction, improve soil resistance to external forces, and maintain the integrity of soil structure.

Improve soil fertility

Decomposing organic matter: This bacterium has strong decomposition ability, which can decompose organic matter such as animal and plant residues in the soil into simple compounds, accelerate the mineralization process of organic matter, release nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, increase the content of effective nutrients in the soil, and provide sufficient nutrition for plant growth.

Nitrogen fixation: Some strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens have nitrogen fixation ability, which can convert nitrogen in the air into ammonia nitrogen that can be used by plants, increase soil nitrogen content, reduce the application of chemical nitrogen fertilizers, lower agricultural production costs, and also help reduce environmental pollution caused by excessive nitrogen fertilizer application.

Activating soil nutrients: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens produces some organic acids and enzymes during metabolism, such as citric acid, oxalic acid, and phosphatases. These substances can combine with insoluble nutrients in the soil such as iron, aluminum, calcium, etc., transforming them into forms that plants can absorb and utilize, improving the effectiveness of nutrients in the soil, and promoting plant absorption and utilization of nutrients.

Inhibit harmful microorganisms

Producing antibacterial substances: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens can produce various antibacterial substances, such as antibiotics, bacteriocins, lipopeptide compounds, etc. These antibacterial substances can inhibit or kill pathogenic bacteria in the soil, such as Fusarium and Fusarium graminearum, reduce the occurrence of soil borne diseases, decrease the damage of pathogenic bacteria to plant roots, and protect the healthy growth of plants.

Competitive effect: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens has strong survival and reproductive ability in soil, and can quickly colonize around plant roots, competing with harmful microorganisms for living space and nutrients. Through this competitive effect, it can restrict the growth and reproduction of harmful microorganisms, thereby maintaining the balance of soil microbial communities and creating a favorable soil microecological environment for plant growth.

Promote plant growth

Secretion of plant growth hormones: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens can secrete plant growth hormones such as auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, etc. These hormones can promote the growth and development of plant roots, increase the absorption area and capacity of roots, improve the growth rate and biomass of aboveground parts of plants, and enhance plant stress resistance and adaptability.

Inducing plant systemic resistance: This bacterium can induce plants to develop systemic resistance, activate their own defense mechanisms, and make plants more resistant to pathogens and stress. For example, plants treated with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens can better regulate their physiological metabolism and maintain higher levels of growth and development when subjected to adverse stress such as drought and salinity.