Synergistic effects of enhanced biological phosphorus removal microbiomes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on nutrient uptake and growth of Sorghum bicolor

Understanding microbial interactions in soil is crucial for developing biofertilizers in regenerative agriculture. In the Sorghum bicolor rhizosphere, we examined the interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and microbiomes enriched with polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) derived from enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) biosolids and compost. Using plant biometry and nutrient analyses, ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), single-cell Raman microspectroscopy (SCRS), and soil microbiome profiling, we found PAOs from both sources accumulated polyphosphates in the rhizosphere. However, AMF synergized more effectively with EBPR-derived microbiomes, enhancing sorghum growth, nutrient uptake, and microbial activity in soils while increasing phenotypic diversity and functional resilience. Additionally, the bacterial PAOs, Thauera and Pirellula, along with non PAO genera Nitrosomonas and Aromatoleum, integrated into the sorghum rhizosphere from EBPR systems, showing a strong correlation with plant nutrient uptake. The results highlight the potential of targeted microbial co-inoculation of EBPR microbiomes and AMF for improving sorghum productivity and soil fertility.