Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Combined effect of potassium fertiliser and potassium-releasing bacteria on the productivity of kodo millet under irrigated conditions

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.15977
Submitted
9 June 2026
Published
01-08-2026

Abstract

Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient that is indispensable for sustaining crop growth, improving productivity and enhancing tolerance to environmental stresses. However, a large proportion of soil potassium remains unavailable to plants due to its occurrence in insoluble mineral forms. Potassium releasing bacteria (KRB) offer a sustainable approach to enhance potassium availability and improve nutrient-use efficiency. A study was undertaken across two consecutive rabi seasons (2024 and 2025) to assess the response of irrigated kodo millet to potassium fertilisation and potassium-releasing bacteria (KRB). Seven treatments comprising different potassium fertiliser levels (10 and 20 kg K ha-1), KRB inoculation (5 kg ha-1) and foliar application of 0.5 % K₂SO₄ were evaluated in a randomised block design (RBD) with 3 replications. The pooled results revealed that the integrated application of 40 : 20 : 10 kg NPK ha-1 + KRB at 5 kg ha-1 + 0.5 % K₂SO₄ foliar spray (T₆) significantly enhanced growth and yield attributes, resulting in the highest grain yield (1851 kg ha-1), straw yield (3270 kg ha-1), dry matter production (4895 kg ha-1) and harvest index (0.32). The same treatment also recorded the highest potassium uptake (69.08 kg ha-1), soil bacterial population (17.54 × 10⁶ CFU g-1 soil) and superior economic returns with a net profit of ₹24090 ha-1 and a BCR of 1.69. The study demonstrates that integrating moderate potassium fertilisation with KRB and foliar potassium supplementation is an effective and economically viable strategy for enhancing the productivity and profitability of irrigated kodo millet cultivation.

References

  1. 1. Rawat L, Karnatak AK, Bisht TS, Kukreti A. Minor millets: profile and ethnobotanical scenario. In: Millets and Millet Technology. Singapore: Springer; 2021. p. 51–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0676-2_3
  2. 2. Ashoka P, Raut D, Sudeepthi B, Gawande KN, Reddy Gurrala SV, Padhan SR, et al. Millet's role as a climate resilient staple for future food security: a review. Int J Environ Clim Change. 2023;13(11):4542–52. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2023/v13i113634
  3. 3. Anitha S, Kane-Potaka J, Botha R, Givens DI, Sulaiman NLB, Upadhyay S, et al. Millets can have a major impact on improving iron status, haemoglobin level and in reducing iron deficiency anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2021;8:725529. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.725529
  4. 4. Yadav OP, Gupta SK, Govindaraj M, Sharma R, Varshney RK, Srivastava RK, et al. Genetic gains in pearl millet in India: insights into historic breeding strategies and future perspective. Front Plant Sci. 2021;12:645038. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.645038
  5. 5. Sattar A, Naveed M, Ali M, Zahir ZA, Nadeem SM, Yaseen M, et al. Perspectives of potassium solubilizing microbes in sustainable food production system: a review. Appl Soil Ecol. 2018;133:146–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2018.09.012
  6. 6. Meena VS, Bahadur I, Maurya BR, Kumar A, Meena RK, Meena SK, et al. Potassium-solubilizing microorganism in evergreen agriculture: an overview. In: Potassium Solubilizing Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture. New Delhi: Springer; 2016. p. 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2776-2_1
  7. 7. Olaniyan FT, Alori ET, Adekiya AO, Ayorinde BB, Daramola FY, Osemwegie O, et al. The use of soil microbial potassium solubilizers in potassium nutrient availability in soil and its dynamics. Ann Microbiol. 2022;72(1):1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13213-022-01701-8
  8. 8. Etesami H, Emami S, Alikhani HA. Potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB): mechanisms, promotion of plant growth and future prospects: a review. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr. 2017;17(4):897–911. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-95162017000400005
  9. 9. Harisudan C, Sapre N. Evaluation of crop establishment methods and foliar nutrition for enhancing productivity of rice fallow/follow sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). J Oilseeds Res. 2019;36(2). https://doi.org/10.56739/jor.v36i2.126932
  10. 10. Chandrasekaran H, Ramesh K, Yadav P, Pasala R, Sathiah E, Indiragandhi P, et al. Evaluation of rabi season sesame productivity from graded nutrient doses and tillage regimes in rice fallows of southern plateau and hills region of the Indian sub-continent. PeerJ. 2024;12:e17867. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17867
  11. 11. Jackson ML. Soil Chemical Analysis. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd.; 1973.
  12. 12. Gomez KA, Gomez AA. Statistical Procedures for Agricultural Research. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1984.
  13. 13. Basak BB, Biswas DR. Influence of potassium solubilizing microorganism (Bacillus mucilaginosus) and waste mica on potassium uptake dynamics by Sudan grass (Sorghum vulgare Pers.) grown under two Alfisols. Plant Soil. 2009;317(1):235–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9805-z
  14. 14. Shahzad AN, Fatima A, Sarwar N, Bashir S, Rizwan M, et al. Foliar application of potassium sulfate partially alleviates pre-anthesis drought-induced kernel abortion in maize. Int J Agric Biol. 2017;19:495–501. https://doi.org/10.17957/IJAB/15.0317
  15. 15. Sathiya K, Sukanya TS, Nirmalakumari A, Vanitha C, Ayyadurai P, Shri Rangasami SR, et al. Impact of potassium fertilization on growth and yield of small millets. Asian Res J Agric. 2024;17(4):108–15. https://doi.org/10.9734/arja/2024/v17i4505
  16. 16. Prabhakar M, Gopinath KA, Sai Sravan U, Srasvan Kumar G, Thirupathi M, Samba Siva G, et al. Potential for yield and soil fertility improvement with integration of organics in nutrient management for finger millet under rainfed Alfisols of Southern India. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1095449. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1095449
  17. 17. Parameswari K, Brindavathy R, Gayathry G, Tamilselvi C, Syed Abul HH, Vijaya Geetha V, et al. Impact of a liquid consortium of plant growth-promoting bacteria on biometrics and yield attributes in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Plant Sci. Today. 2025;12(2):1–9. https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.5698
  18. 18. Meena VS, Maurya BR, Verma JP. Does a rhizospheric microorganism enhance K+ availability in agricultural soils? Microbiol Res. 2014;169(5–6):337–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micres.2013.09.003
  19. 19. Prajapati K, Modi HA. The importance of potassium in plant growth: a review. Indian J Plant Sci. 2012;1(2–3):177–86.
  20. 20. Keshavarz Zarjani J, Aliasgharzad N, Oustan S, Emadi M, Ahmadi A. Isolation and characterization of potassium solubilizing bacteria in some Iranian soils. Arch Agron Soil Sci. 2013;59(12):1713–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2012.756977
  21. 21. Sheng XF, He LY. Solubilization of potassium-bearing minerals by a wild-type strain of Bacillus edaphicus and its mutants and increased potassium uptake by wheat. Can J Microbiol. 2006;52(1):66–72. https://doi.org/10.1139/w05-117
  22. 22. Wang JG, Zhang FS, Zhang XL, Cao YP. Release of potassium from K-bearing minerals: effect of plant roots under P deficiency. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst. 2000;56(1):45–52. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009894427550
  23. 23. Liu D, Lian B, Dong H. Isolation of Paenibacillus sp. and assessment of its potential for enhancing mineral weathering. Geomicrobiol J. 2012;29(5):413–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2011.576602
  24. 24. El-Egami HM, Hegab RH, Montaser H, El-Hawary MM, Hasanuzzaman M. Impact of potassium-solubilizing microorganisms with potassium sources on the growth, physiology and productivity of wheat crop under salt-affected soil conditions. Agronomy. 2024;14(3):423. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030423
  25. 25. Louhar GA, Bana RS, Kumar V, Kumar H. Nutrient management technologies of millets for higher productivity and nutritional security. Indian J Agric Sci. 2020;90(12):2243–50. https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v90i12.110267

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.