Effect of Potassium Soloblizing Bacteria Application on Yield of Three Bread Wheat Cultivars

Using of potassium soloblizing bacteria in mineral potassium-rich soils can increase the solubility of soil potassium and its absorbtion by plants. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of potassium biofertilizer in comparison with common potassium chemical fertilizers in the region on yield and yield components of bread wheat.

In this study, the effect of K bio-fertilizer application on wheat cultivars in Kerman., Iran was evaluated. For this purpose, these experiments were conducted in Split-Plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications in Islamic Azad University farm, Jiroft, Iran. Different cultivars of wheat at three levels including Chamran 2, Barat and Khalil were as main plot and sources and amounts of K fertilizer were at four levels were in sub plots. K fertilizer levels were included 1. Control (without using any K fertilizers)2. Potassium sulfate fertilizer application (based on soil test results) 3. Half recommended fertilizer based on soil test results plus fertilizer application and 4. Potassium bio fertilizer Alone (From the source of Potabarvar).

Results showed that bread wheat cultivars had different response to different levels of K fertilizer treatment during two years of study. However, application of K biofertilizer alone and in combination with 50% reduction in recommended fertilizer could improve grain yield in Chamran wheat cultivars (8 t.ha-1) and Khalil (7.49 t.ha-1) and Barat cultivar (7.6 t.ha-1), respectively.What was evident in the results was that potassium bio fertilizer improved biological yield and grain yield, harvest index, thousand seed weight and plant height.

The application of potassium biological fertilizer combined with 50% of recommended K chemical fertilizer significantly reduce the amount of mineral K fertilizers and production costs and improve product health.