INOCULATION AND COINOCULATION OF Azospirillum brasilense AND Bacillus sp. IN MAIZE GENOTYPES UNDER WATER DEFICIT

Authors

  • Caroline Oliveira Reis Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3537-6548
  • Paulo César Magalhães Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7842-4506
  • Isabel Regina Prazeres de Souza Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2684-4300
  • Lorena Gabriela Almeida Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG, Brazil
  • Ana Paula Lima de Paiva Centro Universitário de Sete Lagoas (UNIFEMM), Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7834-7555
  • Daniele Maria Marques Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG, Brazil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18512/ijms2026e1346

Abstract

Aiming to evaluate the effects of isolated and joint inoculation of rhizobacteria in
corn hybrids under different water regimes, strains of Azospirillum brasilense and Bacillus sp. were
inoculated in seeds of two maize hybrids with contrasting drought characteristics and exposed to
Field Capacity and Water Deficit. During pre-flowering, the plants were kept under water deficit for
14 days. After this period, the root system morphology, relative leaf chlorophyll content, maximum
quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII), and production parameters were analyzed. Regarding
root morphological characteristics, the hybrids showed opposite responses: DKB390 increased
all evaluated factors when inoculated with Azospirillum, whereas P30F53 did not. The inoculants
promoted beneficial effects in maize genotypes under water-deficit conditions, resulting in increased
grain production. Coinoculation promoted higher averages across all evaluated parameters for the
drought-sensitive hybrid. In irrigated plants, the inoculant Azospirillum conferred higher chlorophyll
content in both maize genotypes. Photosystem II inhibition was observed in plants exposed to water
deficit after 7 days of stress; however, the inoculant Azospirillum showed higher values for both
hybrids. Thus, these results suggest that the plant-bacteria interaction is linked to genetic material, as
corn hybrids with divergent drought behaviors exhibit different responses to plant growth-promoting
rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculation.

 

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Published

2026-07-14

How to Cite

Reis, C. O., Magalhães, P. C., Souza, I. R. P. de, Almeida, L. G., Paiva, A. P. L. de, & Marques, D. M. (2026). INOCULATION AND COINOCULATION OF Azospirillum brasilense AND Bacillus sp. IN MAIZE GENOTYPES UNDER WATER DEFICIT. International Journal of Maize & Sorghum, 23, e1346. https://doi.org/10.18512/ijms2026e1346

Issue

Vol. 23 (2026): International Journal of Maize and Sorghum

Section

Scientific Paper

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Caroline Oliveira Reis, Paulo César Magalhães, Isabel Regina Prazeres de Souza, Lorena Gabriela Almeida, Ana Paula Lima de Paiva, Daniele Maria Marques

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