Table 3. Plant biomass yield in the whole plant and in the different parts of maize plant inoculated with PGPR strains at D50 (before anthesis) and D65 (ear harvest).
| PGPR strains a | Dry biomass yield (g plant−1), Mean±SEM | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tassel | Young leaves | Ear leaves | Old leaves | Stalk | Ear | Root | Whole plant | |||||||||
| D50 | D65 | D50 | D65 | D50 | D65 | D50 | D65 | D50 | D65 | D50 | D65 | D50 | D65 | D50 | D65 | |
| Control | 5.43±0.45 bA | 5.38±0.36 aA | 4.20±0.35 bB | 5.45±0.36 aA | 4.53±0.67 cA | 4.39±0.46 cA | 3.71±0.50 aA | 4.20±1.06 aA | 13.87±0.82 aB | 21.85±0.32 bA | N/A | 8.65±0.71 c | 1.91±0.13 cB | 4.29±0.22 aA | 33.64±2.14 dB | 54.20±2.85 bA |
| UPMB10 | 6.05±0.15 abA | 5.46±0.19 aB | 4.29±0.59 bA | 5.74±0.62 aA | 5.13±0.55 bcA | 5.60±0.30 abA | 4.08±0.70 aA | 4.38±0.33 aA | 15.90±0.73 aB | 22.89±1.70 abA | N/A | 9.78±0.43 b | 2.48±0.10 abB | 4.74±0.45 aA | 37.92±1.39 cB | 58.58±2.01 bA |
| Br1 | 5.61±0.28 bA | 5.36±0.38 aA | 4.30±0.57 bA | 5.62±0.86 aA | 5.59±0.86 abA | 4.79±0.36 bcA | 4.49±0.64 aA | 4.59±0.62 aA | 15.87±1.05 aB | 21.67±0.96 bA | N/A | 9.41±0.59 bc | 2.20±0.12 bcA | 4.35±0.72 aA | 38.05±2.18 cB | 55.78±3.38 bA |
| Fr1 | 6.36±0.13 aA | 5.66±0.29 aB | 5.64±0.76 aA | 6.99±0.40 aA | 6.42±0.31 aA | 6.61±0.43 aA | 6.09±0.23 aA | 5.84±0.12 aA | 17.97±0.72 aB | 26.10±0.52 aA | N/A | 11.21±0.23 a | 2.74±0.30 aB | 4.80±0.62 aA | 45.21±0.74 aB | 67.20±2.00 aA |
| S1r1 | 6.51±0.29 aA | 5.56±0.36 aB | 5.69±0.39 aB | 7.31±0.21 aA | 5.85±0.83 abA | 6.63±0.55 aA | 5.17±0.37 aA | 6.18±0.16 aA | 16.54±0.61 aB | 25.68±0.68 aA | N/A | 11.32±0.39 a | 2.51±0.05 abB | 5.30±0.48 aA | 42.28±1.06 abB | 67.98±2.38 aA |
| S3r2 | 6.29±0.44 aA | 5.56±0.34 aB | 5.17±0.48 abA | 6.16±0.93 aA | 5.61±0.51 abA | 5.05±0.46 bcA | 4.50±0.32 aA | 4.66±0.42 aA | 16.34±0.27 aB | 22.98±1.65 abA | N/A | 9.52±0.45 bc | 2.62±0.20 abB | 4.79±0.63 aA | 40.53±1.62 bcB | 58.72±3.88 bA |
| Mean by harvests | 6.04±0.14 A | 5.50±0.12 B | 4.88±0.24 B | 6.21±0.27 A | 5.52±0.27 A | 5.51±0.24 A | 4.67±0.24 A | 4.97±0.25 A | 16.08±0.37 B | 23.52±0.54 A | N/A | 9.98±0.27 | 2.41±0.09 B | 4.72±0.21 A | 39.61±0.96 B | 60.41±1.51 A |
a For each response variable, values (means of four replicates) not sharing a common letter, lower case (e.g. a, b) in the vertical columns for each plant part within every harvest and upper case (e.g. A, B) in the horizontal lines for each plant part between harvests (D50, D65), differ significantly (P<0.05) from each other (DMRT).
N/A = Not available before anthesis.