Table 2.

Effect of nanochitosan and PGPR on number of leaves, leaf area and fresh weight of shoot at 20, 40 and 60 DAS in maize crop

Treatments	Number of leaves			Leaf area (cm2 plant−1)			Fresh weight of shoot (g)
	20D	40D	60D	20D	40D	60D	20D	40D	60D
Control	5.99 ± 1.17a	9.39 ± 0.15a	14.20 ± 0.10a	28.14 ± 2.93a	269.95 ± 2.61a	394.00 ± 3.00a	15.06 ± 1.85a	100.64 ± 2.77a	384.15 ± 2.50a
PS2	6.32 ± 0.19b	9.80 ± 0.38b	14.55 ± 0.30ab	32.71 ± 2.38ab	293.77 ± 2.61b	414.23 ± 3.84b	19.10 ± 1.90b	109.51 ± 1.62b	391.05 ± 1.78b
PS10	6.34 ± 1.19b	9.86 ± 0.15b	14.60 ± 0.36ab	35.37 ± 2.97c	291.33 ± 2.71b	413.67 ± 3.61b	19.69 ± 1.49b	110.87 ± 3.16bc	392.14 ± 1.23b
Nanochitosan	6.48 ± 0.18b	9.88 ± 0.19b	14.83 ± 0.28b	33.84 ± 3.75c	296.00 ± 3.60b	432.73 ± 2.61c	19.47 ± 1.61b	112.57 ± 1.76c	395.43 ± 1.35b
PS2 + Nch	7.11 ± 0.19c	10.61 ± 0.25c	15.66 ± 0.57c	45.46 ± 2.99d	327.53 ± 2.20c	455.67 ± 2.51d	22.93 ± 1.95c	118.27 ± 2.04d	409.08 ± 1.78c
PS10 + Nch	7.30 ± 0.30c	10.88 ± 0.19c	15.76 ± 0.40c	49.36 ± 2.73d	333.50 ± 3.13d	456.75 ± 3.52d	23.07 ± 1.11c	119.47 ± 1.89d	410.33 ± 1.06c

Means in each column followed by the same letter were not significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) as determined by two-way ANOVA and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Values were the means of three replications ± SD