Researchers from Guangxi University in China found that two native strains of Paracoccus communis, delivered on composted filter mud from sugarcane processing, improved acidic red soil and boosted lettuce growth in a 50-day greenhouse trial. Compared with untreated soil, the microbial treatment increased plant height by 120.6%, fresh weight by 527.8%, and chlorophyll content by 33.8%. It also raised root-zone pH and increased available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The team selected the strains for tolerance to low carbon and acidity, then combined them into a synthetic community. The filter mud carrier helped establish the bacteria around the roots. Microbial analysis showed a 25-fold increase in the carbon-fixation marker gene cbbL and enrichment of genes linked to nitrogen fixation, phosphorus mobilization, and hormone production. The authors say field trials are still needed to test durability across crops and soils and to set practical application rates. If the results hold outside the greenhouse, this could become a low-cost, waste-based amendment for acidic agricultural land.
