The Impact of Biological Inoculation on Zea Mays L. growth, Protein Content, and Iron Availability Under Different Levels of Water Stress

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effect of biological inoculation with Azotobacter chrococcum and Glomus mosseae on the growth and yield of Zea mays L., the variety of Baghdad 3 under different levels of water stress. A field experiment was carried out in the fall season of 2020 in a private farm in the Diwaniyah Governorate-Afak district. According to the Randomized Complete Block Design R.C.B.D, the experiment was designed with three replications, and the treatment was distributed randomly. Three levels of irrigation were used in the experiment (I4 irrigation every four days, I7 irrigation every seven days, I10 irrigation every ten days) and the levels of inoculation (B1 inoculation with A-chrococcum and B0 not inoculating with bacteria) and ( F1 inoculating with G-mosseae and F0 non-inoculation) and ( B1F1 interaction between fungus and bacteria). The means were compared using the L.S.D. Test at a 5% significance level. The results present that the treatments inoculated with fungi or bacteria or both, and for a seven-day irrigation period, significantly increased the values ​​of the traits (plant height, dry weight of the vegetative part, length of corn cob, protein percentage, soil content of available iron during the flowering and end of season periods). They had the highest values ​​ 358, 85.71, 25.63, 12.23, 0.5423, and 0.4873 cm plant-1, respectively, compared to the treatments (control + irrigation every ten days) as they resulted in 165, 32.87, 9.07, 6.75, 0.3133, and 0.2823 cm plant-1, respectively.

Keywords

• maize
• azotobacter chrococcum
• glomus mosseae
• bio-fertilizers
• iron availability