Analysis reveals plant growth-promoting bacteria enhance stress tolerance in maize roots, suggesting crucial role of development stage and irrigation level.
Key Points
Higher osmotic stress tolerance observed in endophytic bacteria from mature maize plants, enhancing resilience.
Plant growth-promoting traits like indole-3-acetic acid synthesis and phosphate solubilization were more prominent under stress conditions.
Isolation techniques employed BOX-PCR for genetic typing of 400 bacterial strains from maize roots across varied irrigation levels.
Findings indicate the importance of development phase and hydric stress in selecting beneficial bacteria for drought conditions.