Figure 6.

Strain BP-R2 enhanced various growth parameters of the pak choi (Brassica rapa) plants compared to those of the mock-inoculated control plants under salt stress. After pak choi plants were inoculated with bacteria strain BP-R2, the plants were treated with 200 mM NaCl for 5 days to create salt stress and were then recovered for 3 days by re-watering with distilled water. After salt stress treatments, the average values of the leaf fresh weight per plant (A) leaf dry weight per plant (B), leaf length per leaf (C), leaf width per leaf (D), leaf numbers per plant (E), total leaf area per plant (F), leaf area per leaf (G), plant height (H), plant width (I), root fresh weight per plant (J), root dry weight per plant (K), and root length per plant (L) of the mock-inoculated control and the BP-R2-inoculated plants under salt stress and nonstress conditions were documented. Data are presented as the mean ± standard error (SE) from at least three independent bacteria inoculation experiments. More than 20 individual plants were examined for each bacteria inoculation assay. Data were analyzed by Duncan tests and means with different letters were significantly different (p < 0.05). (M) shows the top-view photographs of the mock-inoculated control and the BP-R2-inoculated plants after salt stress treatments. Yellow bar = 3 cm.