Impact of potassium solubilizing microorganisms on k availability in banana plantations

Abstract:

Compare two neighbouring banana plantations on the same soil type in Sarawak: one applies 800 kg/ha of muriate of potash each year, the other uses half that rate supplemented with Potassium Solubilizing Bacteria (KSB). The second farm spends 35% less on fertilizer yet harvests bunches of comparable weight. This research tested three KSB treatments, Bacillus mucilaginosus, Frateuria aurantia, and a mixed consortium, against an uninoculated control, all at 50% recommended K fertilizer rate, in a commercial Cavendish banana plantation at the Borneo Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Kuching, Sarawak, during 2022-2023. A RCBD with four replications was used. The mixed consortium raised available K from 124 to 213 mg/kg, increased bunch weight by 18.7%, and reduced K fertilizer requirement by 50%. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.92) between soil available K and bunch weight confirmed the link. These results indicate that KSB inoculation can meaningfully reduce potassium fertilizer dependence in tropical banana production.