Table 2.

Measurement of maize vegetative parameters along with survival and competence in the rhizosphere of maize by Bacillus spp.

Treatment	Plant growth parameters					Microbial population (Log10 CFU g−1)
	Shoot length (cm)	Root length (cm)	No. of leaves	Fresh plant wt. (g)	Dry plant wt. (g)	Heterogenous	Rifampicin resistant
Control	42.07 ± 1.67b	24.13 ± 0.55c	3.67 ± 0.33b	5.58 ± 0.04b	0.69 ± 0.02b	7.62 ± 0.04	0
Salt (100 mM NaCl)	30.73 ± 0.52a	17.27 ± 0.49a	2.67 ± 0.33a	3.86 ± 0.03a	0.51 ± 0.03a	5.66 ± 0.05	0
NBRI 28B	57.30 ± 0.76e	27.50 ± 0.83d	4.33 ± 0.33bc	6.92 ± 0.03f	0.78 ± 0.02 cd	8.44 ± 0.07	7.06 ± 0.04
NBRI 28B + S	41.17 ± 0.75b	26.07 ± 0.43d	4.00 ± 0.00b	6.31 ± 0.02d	0.70 ± 0.01b	7.05 ± 0.04	6.85 ± 0.06
NBRI 33 N	49.70 ± 0.84d	27.50 ± 0.42d	4.33 ± 0.33bc	6.50 ± 0.03e	0.74 ± 0.02bc	8.74 ± 0.08	7.66 ± 0.05
NBRI 33 N + S	45.67 ± 1.21c	21.07 ± 0.50b	4.33 ± 0.33bc	6.11 ± 0.03c	0.71 ± 0.02b	7.32 ± 0.05	6.88 ± 0.05
NBRI 12 M	55.73 ± 0.61e	36.23 ± 0.18f	5.00 ± 0.00c	8.23 ± 0.03 h	0.95 ± 0.01e	8.77 ± 0.06	7.94 ± 0.07
NBRI 12 M + S	49.73 ± 0.97d	31.00 ± 0.47e	4.33 ± 0.33bc	7.25 ± 0.02 g	0.82 ± 0.01d	7.53 ± 0.07	7.23 ± 0.08

Parameters are expressed as mean values of three replicates ± SE which were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by the Duncan test. Statistically significant differences (signified by different letters) were then determined at p ≤ 0.05, using the software SPSS ver 20.0. Values in the columns with the same letter are not significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) by the Duncan test. Four different treatments refer to control (uninoculated; no salt); salt (uninoculated; 100 mM NaCl); NBRI 28B, NBRI 33 N, and NBRI 12 M (Zea mays treated with NBRI 28B, NBRI 33 N, and NBRI 12 M); and NBRI 28B + S, NBRI 33 N + S, and 12 M + S (Zea mays treated with NBRI 28B, NBRI 33 N, and NBRI 12 M under salt stress condition)