Effect of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria on Quantitative and Qualitative Yield of Forage Maize

This research was conducted to investigate the effect of growth-promoting bacteria on yield and some traits of maize. This experiment was performed as a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications at research farm of Islamic Azad University, Izeh branch, Iran. The experimental factors included four strains of plant growth-promoting bacteria: Pseudomonas fluorescent 169 (B1), Pseudomonas fluorescent 79 (B2), Pseudomonas putida 108 (B3), Pseudomonas putida 159 (B4) and without bacteria (control, B5) and two corn varieties namely sc 704 (A1) and Bolson (A2). Before planting corn seeds were soaked with liquid inoculation. Plant height, number of leaves per plant and ear, forage yield, dry matter and dry matter digestibility of leaf, stem and ear, crude protein and cell wall without hemicellulose in the leaf, stem and ear were evaluated. Analysis of variances showed that the effects of varieties, bacteria and their interaction on all traits were significant. Plant height, number of leaves per plant and ear, forage yield, dry matter and stem dry matter digestibility were higher in Bolson. Moreover, dry matter digestibility of leaf and ear, crude protein and cell wall without hemicellulose in the leaf, stem and ear of sc 704 were greater, compared to hybrid Bolson. Plant height, number of leaves per plant and ear, forage yield, dry matter and dry matter digestibility of stem and ear were greater in at the presence of fluorescent strains than those of putida strains. The results revealed that bacterial inoculation enhances the grain yield, yield components and quality of forage maize. Bolson seemed potent to outperform sc 704, though this proposition needs further examination in future field trials