Use of Bacillus aryabhattai in the agronomic performance of green maize under irrigation depths

The use of Bacillus aryabhattai can mitigate water stress and improve the production performance of maize in the semi-arid northeast. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of water regime on the agronomic performance of maize, both with and without Bacillus aryabhattai inoculation. The experiment was conducted under field conditions at the Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira, Redenção, Ceará, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block design in a split-plot arrangement with five replications. The plots were the water regimes (60, 80, 100, and 120% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc)), and the subplots were the presence or absence of Bacillus aryabhattai inoculation. The increase in irrigation regime stimulated root growth and biomass accumulation, which translated into larger leaf area, longer ears, and higher yield. These effects were more pronounced under Bacillus aryabhattai. Using the 60% ETc depth reduced all agronomic development and yield parameters of green maize. However, using Bacillus aryabhattai mitigated the effects of water deficits on crop yield.