Effect of inoculation with Bacillus spp., A. chroococcum, P. fluorescens and phosphorous levels on the amount of major nutrients in maize (Zea mays L.) irrigated with saline water

A field experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) to study the effect of bacterial inoculation (non-inoculation, inoculation with Bacillus spp., Inoculation with A. chroococcum, inoculation with P. fluorescens, and co-inoculation) on the amount of major nutrients in maize. Two levels of salinity of irrigation water were ۳ and ۶ dSm-۱ and four levels of phosphate fertilizer were ۰, ۴۰, ۸۰ and ۱۲۰ kg P. ha-۱ in the form of superphosphate fertilizer (۲۱% P) to investigate the weight of ۱۰۰ grain of maize plants and its leaves content of N, P and K nutrients.   The results indicated that the co-inoculation with Bacillus spp., A. chroococcum and P. fluorescens was superior to increase the weight of ۱۰۰ grains and the concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the vegetative of maize plant by ۴۴.۹۹% and ۱۲.۹۸%, ۱۵۶.۵% and ۳۹.۵%, respectively, compared to the un-inoculated control irrigated with ۶ dS m-۱ saline water and not fertilized with phosphorus, and reduced the phosphate fertilizer recommend by ۳۳%. The inoculation with Bacillus spp. treatment was not differ significantly from P. fluorescens inoculation in most of these traits.

Keywords:

Bacterial , Inoculation , Zea mays , Salt water