Plant growth-promoting bacteria from the Cerrado enhance maize development1
ABSTRACT Maize intensive cultivation with excessive fertilizer use generates environmental impacts. Plant growth-promoting bacteria offer a sustainable alternative by favoring nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, and phytohormone production. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of microorganisms previously recognized as growth promoters in rice on maize biomass and yield. The experiment was conducted under laboratory and greenhouse conditions, in a completely randomized design, with 13 treatments (12 microorganisms and one control). Lysinibacillus boronitolerans (BRM 71995) promoted the greatest increase in shoot dry mass (48.64 %, compared to the control), whereas Acinetobacter sp. (BRM 71990) stood out for root dry mass (217.12 %, compared to the control). For 100-grain weight, Herbaspirillum seropedicae (BRM 71996) increased values by 110.40 %, compared to Bacillus velezensis (BRM 71986). H. seropedicae (BRM 71997) was responsible for the greatest productive gains, increasing the number of grains (57.35 %, compared to the control) and yield per pot (85.14 %, compared to the control).