Identification and Consortium Development of Halophilic Bacteria for Biofertilizer-Based Reclamation of Sodic Soils

Sodic soils are one of the biggest limitations to the production of various foods around the globe, soil decay, nutrient cycling as well as microorganisms’ equilibrium. This paper describes the isolation, characterization, and consortium development of native halophilic bacteria to be used in biofertilizer-mediated sodic soil reclamation in Maharashtra, India. Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp were 16S rRNA sequenced and assessed in terms of their halotolerance, enzyme activity, and compatibility among themselves. The resultant consortium had a high growth promoting properties of plants which comprised of fixation of nitrogen, solubilization of phosphate and secretion of exopolysaccharide (EPS) in salty environment. Field work on soybean (Glycine max L. cv. Phule Sangam) showed that there were impressive agronomic and soil enhancements: pod and seed counts rose by more than 300%, seed weight had quadrupled, and soil pH and exchangeable sodium percentage were reduced by 40-50%. Increased availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as well as increased content of organic carbon, all signified nutrient regeneration and alleviation of sodicity through the activity of microbes. The osmotic stress-tolerant functional resilience of the consortium indicates synergistic roles of hormonal signaling and ionic homeostasis regulation in the rhizosphere. A biosafety of antibiotic sensitivity was established and this makes it a good fit in the field. This paper has defined native halophilic microbial consortia as an effective and economical alternative to the use of gypsum reclamation and it is also an environmentally friendly reclamation that is low-cost. These consortia fit the FAO and ICAR models of resilient agroecosystems in salt-impacted areas by enhancing the crop production capacity of soils through reestablishment of soil biological activity and implementation of microbial biotechnology.