Table 3.

Comparative analysis of above and below ground responses of rice plants (60 days after sowing) inoculated with selected diazotropic bacteria isolated from Sikkim soils. Above ground responses: shoot length (SL) and leaf chlorophyll concentrations (SPAD) calculated using ODD (optical density difference) which is the ratio between reflection and absorption of incident light by SPAD meter. Below ground responses: root length (RL), projected root area (PRA), root surface area (RSA) and root average diameter (RAD). BIOM: Biomass calculated using shoot and root dry weights. PN: total plant nitrogen. Similar alphabets found across each parameter shows no difference between the respective values at 5% level of significance.

Treatment	SPAD	SL	RL	PRA	RSA	RAD	BIOM	PN
	(ODD)	(cm)	(cm)	(mm2)	(mm2)	(mm)	(g/plant)	(%/plant)
PANW4	33.416c	34.23a	36.221c	26.246b	27.866a	0.53bc	2.23c	0.386a
PANW4/1	34.23a	34.123ab	38.279a	26.84a	27.81ab	0.716a	2.809a	0.315d
PANW5	34.13a	33.247d	38.038b	26.39b	27.62b	0.669a	2.722b	0.327c
PANW6	33.27cd	33.177d	35.226e	25.52c	26.98c	0.515c	2.195c	0.386a
PANW9	33.162d	33.167d	35.027f	25.172d	26.482d	0.475c	2.015b	0.33c
+ve Control AT	33.716b	33.707bc	36.108d	26.196b	27.806ab	0.669a	2.797a	0.31d
+ve Control BioCWB	33.406c	33.413cd	31.299g	19.706e	19.556e	0.595b	2.167c	0.352b
-ve Control N broth	32.686e	32.183e	23.516h	13.286f	16.516f	0.382d	1.789e	0.36b
CD (0.05)	0.242	0.459	0.036	0.242	0.24	0.068	0.068	0.009