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 3 and 6 dSm-1 and four levels of phosphate fertilizer were 0, 40, 80 and 120 kg P. ha-1 in the form of superphosphate fertilizer (21% P) to investigate the weight of 100 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 100 grains and the concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the vegetative of maize plant by 44.99% and 12.98%, 156.5% and 39.5%, respectively, compared to the un-inoculated control irrigated with 6 dS m-1 saline water and not fertilized with phosphorus, and reduced the phosphate fertilizer recommend by 33%. The inoculation with Bacillus spp. treatment was not differ significantly from P. fluorescens inoculation in most of these traits.