Possible roles of nitrogen fixation and mineral uptake induced by rhizobacterial inoculation on salt tolerance of maize.

Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the possible roles of nitrogen fixation and/or enhanced mineral uptake by Azospirillum lipoferum and Bacillus polymexa inoculation in improving salt tolerance of maize plants. Plants were inoculated and grown under salt stress (osmotic potential: -0.3, -0.6, -0.9 and -1.2 Mpa). Both microorganisms were able to fix nitrogen up to -0.9 Mpa salinity level accompanied with increased total N-yield compared with the control plants. In order to investigate the role of bacterial inoculation on enhanced mineral uptake, the growth and some physiological parameters of inoculated plants were compared with plants fertilized by K and P foliar application. Plant inoculation with the N2-fixers or plant spraying with KH2PO4 resulted in an increase in fresh and dry matter as well as water content of plants. Treated plants exhibited changed plant mineral content which was associated with increased Mg/K and decreased P/K, Ca/K and Na/K ratios. This was accompanied by accumulation of soluble sugars, amino acids in shoots and roots of plants resulting in a concomitant increase in the osmotic potential of the cell sap as a possible mechanism of adaptation to salinity.