Potassium Releasing Bacteria for Unlocking Soil Potassium- A Way Forward for Judicious Use of Chemical Fertilizers

Potassium (K) is one of the essential macronutrients required for the plants and its availability to plants is hampered due to its fixation with other ions. The Potassium Releasing Micro-organisms (KRMs) present in the soil are capable of converting the fixed form of potassium into an available form of K for the plants to uptake. Most commonly present potash releasing bacteria in rhizosphere soil belong to phylum Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. These microbes produce organic acids, siderophores, biofilms for converting the insoluble K into a soluble form. They also produce some of the plant growth hormones, apart from providing abiotic and biotic stress resistance which results in enhanced yield and quality traits of the crop. The use of KRMs as bio-fertilizer could decrease the level of application of chemical fertilizers and thereby reduce the excess accumulation of potassium in the soil. The presence of sufficient numbers of Potash Releasing Bacteria (KRB) in the soil would ease the potassium transformation processes.