• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2000

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of lime, zeolite, and rock phosphate as coating materials and coated seed size on germination, establishment, and early growth of pasture species at the experimental livestock farm, Yonam College of Agriculture in 1997. Germinating energy and germination of coated tall fescue and orchardgrass seeds were lower than those of non-coated seeds. Coated seed of tall fescue with 70% lime and 15% rock phosphate was the best in germination. The germination of small size seed (< ${\varnothing}2$ mm) was better than those of medium (> ${\varnothing}2$ mm and < ${\varnothing}2$ mm) and large size seeds (> ${\varnothing}2$ mm). Germination of coated orchardgrass seed with 55% lime and 30% rock phosphate treatment was higher than that of other coated seeds, and germination of small size seed was higher than those of medium and large size seeds (p<0.05). Germination energy and germination of coated alfalfa and birdsfoot trefoil seeds were lower than those of non-coated seeds. Germination of coated alfalfa seed with 70% lime and 15% rock phosphate, and 45% lime and 55% rock phosphate was higher compared with other coated seeds. Germination of medium size seed was higher than those of small and large size seeds (p<0.05). Among coated birdsfoot trefoil seed, 45% lime and 40% rock phosphate treatment resulted in higher germinating energy and germination than other treatments. There was no significant difference in establishment and early growth of coated tall fescue and orchardgrass seeds. However, tall fescue and orchardgrass coated with 45 % lime and 40% phosphate rock showed higher establishment and early growth. There was also no significant difference in establishment and early growth of coated alfalfa among the treatments. Among coated treatments, establishment and early growth of alfalfa coated with 75% lime and 10% rock phosphate were the highest and showed 46.4% and $72.6\;g/\textrm{m}^2$, respectively. Establishment and early growth of coated birdsfoot trefoil with 55% lime and 30% rock phosphate were the highest among coated birdsfoot trefoil seed (p<0.05) and recorded 46.4% and $44.6\;g/\textrm{m}^2$, respectively. Results of this study indicate that the germination of coated grass and legume seed may be improved by increasing the percentage of rock phosphate and decreasing that of lime. With regard to seed size, the germination of pasture species with small seed size (< ${\varnothing}2$ mm) may be better than medium and large size seeds except alfalfa. Establishment and early growth of grasses can be also improved by increasing the percentage of rock phosphate and decreasing that of lime.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.497-501
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• 1998

A fungus with high phosphate solubilizing activites was isolated from soil using potato dextrose agar-calcium phosphate medium and identified to Penicillium sp. PS-113, based on the morphological characteristics of conidiophore and conidia; flask shape of phialide, simple branching type of conidiophore, and columnar shape of conidial head, in malt extract agar and potato dextrose agar media. The optimum temperature ad initial pH to solubilize rock phosphate in potato dextrose broth-rock phosphate medium were 30$^{\circ}C$ and pH 8.0, respectively. In these conditions phosphate solubilizing activities of Penicillium sp. PS-113 against four types of insoluble phosphate like tricalcium-phosphate, aluminium phosphate, hydroxyapatite and rock phosphate were quantitatively determined. As results, this fungus highly produced free phosphates to the culture broth with the concentrations of 1,283 ppm against tricalcium-phosphate, 585 ppm against rock phosphate, 528 ppm against aluminium phosphate, and 242 ppm against hydroxyapatite, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.287-291
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• 1999

In order to examine the possible use of rock phosphate as P source, tomato seedlings with or without inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were grown in the pots of sterile volcanic ash soil from Cheju island with two levels of phosphorus (100 and 200 mg/kg) supplied either as fused or as rock phosphate. After three months of culture, plant dry weight, P and other nutrient uptake, root colonization and spore density in the soil were determined. Treatments of rock phosphate of both levels resulted in the significantly depressed plant growth in comparison to the treatments of fused phosphate, likely due to lower P availability in soil with rock phosphate. Mycorrhizal fungi inoculation increased the dry weight of plant at 200 mg/kg level of both fused and rock phosphate. Root infection and sporoulation were reduced in rock phosphate treatments. Nitrogen, K, Ca and Mg contents in plants were not significantly different at all treatments. As a P source, rock phosphate in combination with mycorrhizae was not satisfactory for optimum plant growth at $100{\sim}200\;mg/kg$ levels in Cheju volcanic ash soil.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.249-253
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• 2014

Phosphates solubilizing bacterial strains belong to Pantoea, Burkholderia and Enterobacter were isolated and employed in assessing their solubilization ability of Ca phosphate and ER phosphate (Eppawala Rock Phosphate). Among the bacterial strains used, PSB-13 (Pantoea rodasii) showed higher Ca-phosphate solubilization ($1100{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$) as well as rock phosphate solubilization ($168{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$). The strain was then immobilized in agar to further assess its phosphate solubilization ability. According to the results, agar encapsulated strain solubilized 0.3%, 7.31%, 20.24%, and 20.62% more Ca-phosphate and 11.53%, 15.29%, 28.48%, 36.55% (respectively in 4 cycles) more ER-phosphate than free cells. The reuse efficiency of agar entrapped bacterial cells for Ca-phosphate and ER-phosphate solubilization was greater than that by freely suspended bacterial cells. In conclusion, immobilization could enhance the phosphate solubilization capacity of the strains and thus could be used effectively in enhancing solubilization of ER phosphate.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.233-238
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• 2003

The effect of phosphate solubilizing microbes (PSM) on plant P uptake and growth in rock phosphate applied soil was tested under a greenhouse condition. Tobacco plants were grown in nonsterilized soil inoculated with Penicillium oxalicum CBPS-3F-Tsa with or without rock phosphate application as P fertilizer. Phosphorus concentration in tobacco plants was increased by the application of rock phosphate, while inoculation of soil with fungi further significantly increased P concentration in tobacco plants compared with the noninoculated treatments. Phosphorus uptake by tobacco plants was also increased by the application of rock phosphate and PSM inoculation, and the significant comparison has been made with single rock phosphate treatment. Growth of tobacco plant was also significantly increased in the treatments receiving rock phosphate, while the combined application of rock phosphate and PSM further increased plant growth. It was concluded that the positive effect of PSM inoculation on plant growth was closely related in plant P content and uptake. These results suggest that Penicillium oxalicum CBPS-3F-Tsa could solubilize insoluble soil phosphates and rock phosphate which can promote growth and P uptake of tobacco plants.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2017

Background: Phosphate rock and its by-product are widely used in various industries to produce phosphoric acid, gypsum, gypsum board, and fertilizer. Owing to its high level of natural radioactive nuclides (e.g., $^{238}U$ and $^{226}Ra$), the radiological safety of workers who work with phosphate rock should be systematically managed. In this study, $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$, $^{226}Ra$, and $^{40}K$ levels were measured to analyze the transport characteristics of these radionuclides in the production cycle of phosphate rock. Materials and Methods: Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence and gamma spectrometry were used to determine the activity of $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$, $^{226}Ra$, and $^{40}K$. To evaluate the extent of secular disequilibrium, the analytical results were compared using statistical methods. Finally, the distribution of radioactivity across different stages of the phosphate rock production cycle was evaluated. Results and Discussion: The concentration ratios of $^{226}Ra$ and $^{238}U$ in phosphate rock were close to 1.0, while those found in gypsum and fertilizer were extremely different, reflecting disequilibrium after the chemical reaction process. The nuclide with the highest activity level in the production cycle of phosphate rock was $^{40}K$, and the median $^{40}K$ activity was $8.972Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$ and $1.496Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$, respectively. For the $^{238}U$ series, the activity of $^{238}U$ and $^{226}Ra$ was greatest in phosphate rock, and the distribution of activity values clearly showed the transport characteristics of the radionuclides, both for the byproducts of the decay sequences and for their final products. Conclusion: Although the activity of $^{40}K$ in k-related fertilizer was relatively high, it made a relatively low contribution to the total radiological effect. However, the activity levels of $^{226}Ra$ and $^{238}U$ in phosphate rock were found to be relatively high, near the upper end of the acceptable limits. Therefore, it is necessary to systematically manage the radiological safety of workers engaged in phosphate rock processing.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2007

Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms were isolated from soil around Kyungnam and Kyungbook regions using potato dextrose agar-calcium phosphate medium. A fungus with the greatest phosphate-solubilizing activity was selected and identified to Aspergillus sp. PS-104, based on the morphological characteristics of conidiophore and conidia; unbranching type of conidiophore, terminally swelling of conidiophore and septate of mycelium, in malt extract agar and potato dextrose agar media. The optimum temperature and initial pH to solubilize rock phosphate in potato dextrose broth-rock phosphate medium were $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.0, respectively. In these optimum conditions, phosphate-solubilizing activities of Aspergillus sp. PS-104 against four twos of insoluble phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, aluminium phosphate, hydroxyapatite and rock phosphate, were quantitatively determined. As result, the maximum phosphate-solubilizing activity was obtained with tricalcium-phosphate (1,900 ppm) while minimum activity was obtained with hydroxyapatite (320 ppm). Futhermore, phosphate-solubilizing activity of Aspergillus sp. PS-104 was found higher when treated with nitrates as compared to the ammonium salts as a nitrogen sources.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.188-193
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• 2005

Pantoea agglomerans immobilized in alginate solubilized four different rock phosphates efficiently under in vitro conditions. The solubilization pattern differed according to the rock phosphate source, where maximum solubilization of Morocco and Tunisia rock phosphates (215.6 and $186.1mg\;P\;L^{-1}$) on 6 days, Israel rock phosphate ($60.98mg\;P\;L^{-1}$) and tricalcium phosphate ($132.3mg\;P\;L^{-1}$) on 10 days and China rock phosphate ($48.8mg\;P\;L^{-1}$) on 12 days after inoculation was observed. The shelf life of the immobilized bacteria immobilized beads stored in two different temperatures was studied for six months. Beads stored at both room temperature as well as cold storage ($4^{\circ}C$) were found equally good in supporting the bacterial population as well as phosphate solubilizing activity. P. agglomerans immobilized in alginate might be exploited for large scale biosolubilization of rock phosphates intended for fertilizer use.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.69-79
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• 2002

850 strains of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria were isolated from soil of Chung-nam and Daejeon region using 0.5% calcium phosphate containing medium. The HS-2 strain with the highest rock phosphate-solubilizing activity was selected and identified as Azotobacter sp. HS-2 based on the microbiological characteristics. The optimum culture temperature and initial pH of medium for solubilization of rock phosphate were $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0-7.0, respectively. Addition of oxalic acid(0.5M) into the PDB-rock phosphate medium increased 50% solubilization of rock phosphate.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1999

A fungus, Penicillium sp. PS-113, isolated from soil showed the high phosphate-solubilizing activity in patato dextrose broth-rock phosphate to produce free phosphates to the culture broth with the concentrations of 585 ppm against rock phosphate. In this medium, the optimum temperature and initial pH to solubilize rock phosphate were 30$^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.5, respectively. In order to make the mass production of the conidia from this fungus, we cultured in on various solid-based media like barley, corn, wheat, rice, rice bran, and compost. As a result, the fungus highly produced conidia ranging from 2.1 to $5.1{\times}10_9$ conidia/g${\cdot}$media on these solid media except compost-based medium, which was 0 times less than others. Effects of inoculation of the phosphate solubilizing fungus as a biofertilizer were studied in perlite-based pot cropped with Zea mays Suwon 19. Inoculation of Penicillium sp. PS-113 increased in plant height (1.4 times), plant weight (5.2~8.1 times) and root length (1.1~1.2 times) at 60-day cultivation, compared to Hogland solution either without $NH_4H_2PO_4$ or displace $NH_4H_2PO_4$ to powdered rock phosphate, a phosphorus source for plant growth.