Bacillus aryabhattai Mitigates the Effects of Salt and Water Stress on the Agronomic Performance of Maize under an Agroecological System

The use of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be one option for mitigating the impact abiotic constraints on different cropping systems in tropical semi-arid region. Studies suggest that these bacteria have mechanisms to mitigate effects water stress and promote more significant growth plant species. These involve phenotypic changes growth, conservation, cell protection, damage restoration through integration phytohormone modulation, stress-induced enzyme apparatus, metabolites. aim this study was evaluate leaf gas exchange, yield maize (Zea mays L.—BRS Caatingueiro) inoculated with Bacillus aryabhattai subjected salt stress. experiment followed a randomised block design, split-plot arrangement, six repetitions. plots comprised two levels electrical conductivity irrigation (0.3 dS m−1 3.0 m−1); subplots consisted three depths (50%, 75%, 100% crop evapotranspiration (ETc)); while sub-subplots included presence or absence B. inoculant. A deficit 50% ETc resulted principal negative reducing area stem diameter. mitigated promoted better exchange by increasing CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, internal concentration. However, brackish (3.0 m−1) reduced instantaneous water-use efficiency maize. Our results showed inoculation wiht PGPR mitigates effect (salt water) plants, making it an regions scarcity low-salinity water.