The exploration and knowledge of bacteria-plant interaction mechanisms may be used for a more sustainable production of several crops, e.g., of sugarcane. The objective of this paper was to isolate bacteria associated with sugarcane with the ability to fix nitrogen and solubilize inorganic phosphate in areas with and without the application of termiticide. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from leaves and roots and from the rhizoplane, four months after planting of three commercial sugarcane varieties (RB 92579, RB 867515 and RB 863129), in the Northeast of Brazil. Altogether, 272 isolates were obtained and selected for their capacity to solubilize inorganic phosphate and fix nitrogen. Termiticide application induced no changes in the endophytic microbial communities of leaf and root and the epiphytic bacteria of the rhizoplane. A bacterial community associated with the studied sugarcane varieties was identified, which could be applied for plant growth promotion, since it can fix N2 and solubilize inorganic phosphate.
N2 fixation; phosphate solubilization; associated endophytic bacteria; Saccharum sp
