effect of co-inoculation with phosphate and potassium.pdfVIP

Effect of co-inoculation with phosphate and potassium solubilizing bacteria on mineral uptake and growth of pepper and cucumber 1 2 2 H.S. Han , Supanjani , K.D. Lee 1Department of Biology, Suncheon National University, Jeonnam, Korea 2Department of Plant Science, McGill University, MacDonald Campus, Quebec, Canada ABSTRACT Biofertilizers have been used as sources to improve plant nutrients in sustainable agriculture. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum and potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB) Bacillus mucilaginosus inoculated in nutrient limited soil planted with pepper and cucumber. Results showed that rock P and K applied either singly or in combination did not significant- ly enhance soil availability of P and K, indicating their unsuitability for direct application. PSB was a more potent P-solubilizer than KSB, and co-inoculation of PSB and KSB resulted in consistently higher P and K availability than in the control without bacterial inoculum and without rock material fertilizer. Integrated rock P with inoculation of PSB increased the availability of P and K in soil, the uptake of N, P and K by shoot and root, and the growth of pepper and cucumber. Similar but less pronounced results were obtained when rock K and KSB were added conco- mitantly. Combined together, rock materials and both bacterial strains consistently increased further mineral avai- lability, uptake and plant growth of pepper and cucumber, suggesting its potential use as fertilizer. Keywords: pepper; cucumber; phosphate solubilizing bacteria; potassium solubilizing bacteria Significant areas of cultivated soils in Korea 1990). On the other hand, K deficiencies become and China are deficient of available P and K and problem because K decreases easily in soils due have a low crop productivi