title: Analysis of bacterial communities associated with potting media.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Potting media are commonly used by growers in different parts of the world for potted plants, raising seedlings and for improving soil characteristics. This study was conducted to characterize bacterial communities occurring in 13 commercial potting media products originating from seven countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bacteria were isolated using serial dilution. Identification to the species level was based on phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. The analysis showed the association of 13 bacterial species with the different potting media samples, namely Arthrobacter livingstonensis, Kocuria flava, Leifsonia lichenia, Bacillus vallismortis, Bacillus pumilus, Staphylococcus warneri, Burkholderia phenazinium, Burkholderia sp., Ralstonia pickettii, Rhodanobacter spathiphylli, Rhodanobacter sp., Pseudomonas thivervalensis and Chryseobacterium gallinarum. Bacterial densities in the samples ranged from 8 × 10(7) to 1.2 × 10(9) colony forming units per gram of substrate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows the isolation of some potential plant and human bacterial pathogens. However, most of the isolated species were either biocontrol species or saprophytes. The study questions the ways by which these bacterial species were introduced into potting media. To the best of our knowledge, this appears to be the first report of most of the isolated bacteria from potting media, except B. pumilus.
authors: Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, PO Box 34, 123 Al Khod, Oman.
authors: A M
authors: 0000-0002-3419-8268
authors: AM
authors: Al-Sadi
authors: Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, PO Box 34, 123 Al Khod, Oman.
authors: H A
authors: HA
authors: Al-Zakwani
authors: Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, PO Box 34, 123 Al Khod, Oman.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Nasehi
authors: Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, PO Box 34, 123 Al Khod, Oman.
authors: S S
authors: SS
authors: Al-Mazroui
authors: Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, PO Box 34, 123 Al Khod, Oman.
authors: I H
authors: IH
authors: Al-Mahmooli
keywords: 16S rRNA; Contamination; Phylogeny; Potting media