Characterization and Evolution of Potassium Solubilizing Bacteria Isolated from Stressed Environment

Abstract

With the aim to characterize potassium solubilizing bacteria among various stressed environments and their efficiency to improve nutrients uptake, yield and growth of Maize (Vivek QPM9 variety), a total of 341 isolates distributed among different sites were found capable to solubilize silicate minerals on Aleksandrov plate based on halo zone formation. In the present study, the three most efficient KSB identified (Pseudomonas fragi IARI-R-57, Bacillus sp. IARI-SL-3, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa TSS) were used as an inoculant to improve the growth and yield parameters of maize variety Vivek QPM9. Under sterile condition, inoculation of efficient KSB strains, improve nutrients (K, P and N) uptake with regards to control. The shoot fresh and dry weight also exhibited a similar trend. Inoculation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa TSS gave 20% and 33% increase in fresh and dry weight of shoot respectively compared to treatment with 100% RDF. The fresh and dry weight of root was also significantly influenced due to microbial inoculations. Again, inoculation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa TSS resulted in 50% and 60% increase in root dry and root fresh biomass respectively. Similarly under non-sterile condition, strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa TSS gave the better response and enhanced the newlineuptake of K, P and N significantly with regards to all other treatments except T6 newlinewhere NPK inoculation was carried out. Root fresh weight and dry weight also increased significantly due to inoculation of KSB. The root weight among treatment inoculated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa TSS, Bacillus sp. IARI-SL-3, and Pseudomonas fragi IARI-R-57 were at par but statistically superior to un-inoculated controls [100% RDF newline(N100 P100 K100) and 50% RDF (N100 P100 K50)]. Inoculation of Pseudomonas newlineaeruginosa TSS gave 5% increase in grain yield, 16% increase in corn cob weight and newline10% enhance in stover yield as compared to treatment with 100% RDF. newline newline