Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
*Present address: Division of Soils and Microbiology, Jute Agricultural Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal
Soil phosphatases were characterised into their component fractions (acid and alkaline) and sites where these are produced in the soil-plant system were identified by growing seedlings of Cicer arietinum, Trifolium alexandrinum, Triticum aestivum and Brassica nigra under controlled conditions. The amounts of the enzyme fractions in the roots and in the root exudates of aeptically grown seedlings were also determined. Alkaline phosphatase is solely of microbial origin, whereas acid phosphatase is produced by plants as well as by soil microorganisms. Both the phosphatase fractions increased with the age of seedlings up to 30 days.
Phosphatases, soil enzyme, origin, plants, microorganisms
