TABLE 4.

Effect of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria on growth parameters of wheat varieties grown in soils of different agro-ecological zones.

Treatments		Soil sites	Fresh weight (g plant–1)	Dry weight (g plant–1)	Shoot length (cm)	Root length (cm)	Plant P content (%)
Province1
	Inoculated (IN)	Site 1	2.13 ± 0.10 DEFG	0.72 ± 0.02 CDEF	23.67 ± 1.10 DEFG	26.00 ± 1.30 BC	1.23 ± 0.04 E
		Site 2	3.14 ± 0.20 BC	0.89 ± 0.17 ABC	26.47 ± 1.30 C	27.33 ± 1.50 AB	1.91 ± 0.06 C
		Site 3	3.48 ± 1.00 AB	0.92 ± 0.20 AB	28.67 ± 1.50 B	27.50 ± 1.50 B	2.07 ± 0.10 B
		Site 4	2.30 ± 0.10 DEF	0.73 ± 0.10 DEFG	24.83 ± 1.70 CDE	25.33 ± 1.50 C	1.16 ± 0.05 EF
		Site 5	2.62 ± 0.1 CDE	0.77 ± 0.10 BCDE	25.17 ± 1.00 CDE	21.33 ± 1.00 D	1.13 ± 0.04 EF
		Site 6	2.35 ± 0.10 DEF	0.78 ± 0.02 BCD	25.33 ± 1.50 CD	26.2 ± 1.00 BC	1.66 ± 0.05 D
		Site 7	3.89 ± 0.10 A	1.05 ± 0.10 A	32.00 ± 0.50 A	29.50 ± 1.20 A	4.63 ± 0.20 A
		Site 8	2.92 ± 0.20 BCD	0.87 ± 0.04 ABC	25.50 ± 1.50 CD	26.17 ± 1.00 BC	1.82 ± 0.20 C
		Site 9	2.13 ± 0.2 DEFG	0.66 ± 0.10 DEFG	24.00 ± 1.30 DEF	21.67 ± 1.80 D	1.13 ± 0.06 EF
	Uninoculated Controls (UC)	Site 1	1.29 ± 0.01 HI	0.43 ± 0.04 HI	21.83 ± 1.00 GHI	18.07 ± 0.50 EF	0.72 ± 0.03 GHI
		Site 2	1.78 ± 0.02 FGH	0.55 ± 0.04 FGH	21.50 ± 1.30 HI	14.17 ± 0.80 H	0.44 ± 0.03 J
		Site 3	2.01 ± 0.50 EFGH	0.46 ± 0.10 GHI	23.17 ± 1.60 EFGH	21.16 ± 1.60 DEF	1.12 ± 0.03 EF
		Site 4	1.85 ± 0.05 EFGH	0.32 ± 0.05 I	18.67 ± 0.50 K	19.50 ± 0.30 EF	0.75 ± 0.02 GH
		Site 5	1.34 ± 0.04 HI	0.57 ± 0.01 EFGH	21.00 ± 1.00 IJ	15.33 ± 0.06 GH	0.62 ± 0.03 HI
		Site 6	1.04 ± 0.03 I	0.42 ± 0.03 HI	21.00 ± 1.00 IJ	20.67 ± 1.50 DEF	0.76 ± 0.06 G
		Site 7	2.10 ± 0.10 DEFG	0.37 ± 0.03 HI	17.67 ± 1.00 K	18.07 ± 1.00 FG	0.44 ± 0.03 J
		Site 8	0.98 ± 0.10 GHI	0.33 ± 0.03 HI	19.17 ± 1.20 JK	19.53 ± 0.60 EF	0.59 ± 0.59 I
		Site 9	1.90 ± 0.50 EFGH	0.43 ± 0.03 HI	22.00 ± 2.00 FGHI	21.00 ± 1.20 DEF	1.04 ± 0.03F
Province 2
	IN	Site 1	4.14 ± 0.21 A	0.91 ± 0.02 A	27.50 ± 1.30 A	27.47 ± 2.0 A	1.36 ± 0.01 A
		Site 2	1.80 ± 0.06 B	0.62 ± 0.02 B	24.10 ± 1.15 B	26.83 ± 1.7 A	1.19 ± 0.05 B
		Site 3	1.68 ± 0.02 BC	0.43 ± 0.03 C	23.00 ± 1.00 B	23.13 ± 1.8 B	1.04 ± 0.05 C
	UC	Site 1	1.13 ± 0.06 D	0.42 ± 0.03 D	23.00 ± 1.00 B	21.83 ± 2.0 C	1.03 ± 0.01 C
		Site 2	1.41 ± 0.05 CD	0.33 ± 0.03 C	19.67 ± 0.76 C	16.67 ± 1.6 B	0.45 ± 0.04 E
		Site 3	1.13 ± 0.06 D	0.24 ± 0.03 E	18.83 ± 0.76 C	17.90 ± 1.0 C	0.95 ± 0.05 D
Province 3
	IN	Site 1	1.59 ± 0.10 B	0.71 ± 0.01 B	26.00 ± 0.60 B	17.67 ± 0.60 D	1.16 ± 0.03 C
		Site 2	1.53 ± 0.10 B	0.46 ± 0.01 C	25.33 ± 1.50 B	20.00 ± 1.50 C	1.16 ± 0.05 C
		Site 3	1.89 ± 0.30 A	0.80 ± 0.02 A	29.00 ± 1.00 A	33.00 ± 1.00 A	2.26 ± 0.15 A
		Site 4	1.96 ± 0.03 A	0.77 ± 0.01 A	31.00 ± 1.00 A	29.00 ± 1.00 B	1.39 ± 0.10 B
	UC	Site 1	0.75 ± 0.20 D	0.35 ± 0.03 D	22.67 ± 0.80 C	14.67 ± 0.80 F	1.01 ± 0.02 D
		Site 2	1.10 ± 0.10 C	0.35 ± 0.03 D	20.00 ± 0.90 D	15.67 ± 0.60 EF	1.13 ± 0.06 CD
		Site 3	1.10 ± 0.10 C	0.30 ± 0.03 D	19.00 ± 1.20 D	17.00 ± 1.00 DE	0.64 ± 0.04 E
		Site 4	0.62 ± 0.10 D	0.14 ± 0.03 E	19.37 ± 0.80 D	16.83 ± 0.80 DE	0.52 ± 0.03 E

Effect of bacterial inoculation on various wheat growth parameters at 45 days after sowing in pot experiment under greenhouse conditions Values are an average of 6 biological replicates. ± Represent the standard deviations (SD).

Means with significant difference (P < 0.05) among treatments of each province is represented by different letter.

For Province 1; Site1: Dera Ghazi Khan, Site2: Faisalabad, Site3: Jhang, Site4: Rahim Yar Khan, Site5: Multan, Site6: Sheikhupura, Site7: Gujranwala, Site8: Sialkot, Site9: Rawalpindi. For Province 2; Site1: Dir, Site2: Swat, Site3: Peshawar and Province 3; Site1: Hyderabad, Site 2: Tandojam, Site3: Sanghar and Site4: Larkana. Province 1: Punjab, Province 2: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Province 3: Sindh. IN, Inoculated; UN, Un-inoculated Control.