Use of potassium bio-fertilizers technology for sustainable agriculture in dry areas

Abstract

Potassium (K) is a third essential macronutrient after nitrogen and phosphorous for the growth and metabolism of plant and its deficiency in plant cause poorly developed roots, slow growth, low resistance to disease, delayed maturity, small seed production and lower yields. Naturally, K is present in higher amounts in soil as compare to other nutrients; however most of the K is unavailable for plant uptake. Application of chemical fertilizers has a considerably negative impact on environmental sustainability. It is known that potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB) can solubilize K-bearing minerals and convert the insoluble K to soluble forms of K available to plant uptake. Many bacteria such as Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, Paenibacillus spp., Bacillus mucilaginosus, B. edaphicus, and B. circulans have capacity to solubilize K minerals (e.g., biotite, feldspar, illite, muscovite, orthoclase, and mica). PSM provides an ecofriendly and economically sound approach to overcome the P scarcity and its subsequent uptake by plants through PSMs have been a subject of research for decades, manipulation of PSMs for making use of increasing fixed P in the soil and improving crop production at the field level has not yet been adequately commercialized. The purpose of this review is to widen the understanding of the role of PSMs in crop production as biofertilizers.