Study on Effect of Application of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria on Seedling Emergence and Establishment and Grain Yield of Late Maturity Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids in Field Conditions

Application of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as biofertilizers have important role in crops productivity and yield. Bacterial biofertilizers application through seed inoculation is the most important method of application. In order to study the effect of Azotobacter chroococcum, Azospirillum lipoferum and Pseudomonas fluorescens application on late maturity maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids (SC700, SC 704 and a promising single cross; B73×K18) seedling emergence and establishment and grain yield a field experiment was conducted in two cropping seasons. Expriment treatments including hybrids seeds were inoculated with one by one bacteria and co-inoculated by two, and three bacterial combined inoculants and no inoculation as control. Characteristics measured included 50% of primary and final seedling emergence, mean and final emergence time, rate of field emergence and commulative emergence rate, field emergence index, plant height and leaf area, plant dry matter, seedling vigour index (30 days after planting) and grain yield. Results revealed that interaction of hybrids×PGPR was significant on all measured traits. Likewise, the application of inoculant of three bacteria combination had the highest promoting effect on seedling emergence rate and related traites in hybrids. Azotobacter chroococcum and Pseudomonas fluorescens and seed inoculation by single bacterium had the most growth promoting effect, respectively. Seedling emergence and other characteristics were more effected by growth promoting rhizobactoria. B73×K18 and SC700 were also affected by PGPR. There were significant relationship between different characteristics. Therefore, application of studied PGPR has considerable effect on enhancement of seedling emergence and establishment as well as grain yield in studied maize hybrids.