Promoting effect of potassium solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus cereus) on nutrients availability and yield of potato

A field experiment was carried out during 2017/18 – 2018/19 seasons at the agricultural experimental farm, Faculty of agricultural, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt, in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. This study aims to assess the performance of bio-fertilization (Bacillus cereus) as potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB) on the growth of potato tuber (Kara Spp) and availability of N, P and K as well as soil peering potassium additives. The results showed that the application of bio fertilizer significantly increased plant height (PH), branches number (BN), tuber weight and potato yield by about 14, 27, and 11%, respectively, compared to the untreated one. The N, P, and K uptake were significantly increased in the plants inoculated with Bacillus cereus compared to the un-inoculated plants. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium use efficiency values increased by 50 % over the untreated plants to for all tested nutrients. An increasing in the graded weights of potato for large (17.71%), medium (3.62%) and small size (19.95%) of tubers and the total yield (11.19%) increment compared to the untreated plots. Also, Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium use efficiency values increased by 50 % over the untreated plants to for all tested nutrients.