CaCO3 and MgCO3 Dissolving Halophilic Bacteria

WOS: 000414136100008In the current study, fifteen halophilic and halotolerant bacteria were isolated from salt-affected soil of Sanlurfa, Turkey. The isolates were characterized by conventional and molecular techniques (16S rDNA sequence analyses) as belonging to seven different genus including Bacillus (5 isolates), Halobacillus (1 isolate), Oceanobacillus (2 isolates), Halomonas (3 isolate), Nesterenkonia (1 isolate), Chromohalobacter (2 isolates) and Jeotgalibacillus (2 isolates). According to the results obtained, the investigated bacterial strains have high salt tolerance and significant enzyme activities which can improve soil nutrient cycling and fertility. Furthermore, these bacterial strains have been investigated for their ability to dissolve common salts available in salt-affected soils. Salt dissolving experiments showed that two Chromohalobacter isolates were able to dissolve CaCO3 and one of the Halomonas isolate was able to dissolve both CaCO3 and MgCO3. As these bacterial isolates can dissolve CaCO3 and MgCO3, the availability of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions may increase which can enhance the removal of the excess Na+ in soil profile.Agri Ibrahim Cecen University Scientific Researches Project [BAP-MYO.15.002]This study was supported by Agri Ibrahim Cecen University Scientific Researches Project (Project number: BAP-MYO.15.002)