SALINITY-TOLERANT PLANT GROWTH-PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA'S (ST-PGPR) IMPACT ON SOIL QUALITY INDICES AND MAIZE GROWTH UNDER SALINE ENVIRONMENTS

The most severe abiotic stress that maneuvers plant growth and harms modern agriculture is salinity. Food insecurity is considered to be a result of cereals being negatively influenced by this stress. Many strategies are used to lessen the effects of salinity, however, most of them are quite expensive. To lessen the influence of salinity on the maize crop, this pot study was carried out in a greenhouse utilizing four salts tolerant PGPR isolates. In the Arid Zone Research Center (AZRC) DI Khan, the hybrid maize Shahensha was grown in pots using ST-PGPR inoculum as a treatment. Rhizobacteria that encourage plant growth were isolated and produced significant benefits for maize planted in saline soil. The greenhouse investigation indicated that maize growth in pots was improved with the inoculation of all four PGPR (ECe = 9.3 dS m-1), although the isolate AM3 Pseudomonas aeruginosa demonstrated the highest growth and dry biomass. The comparison of inoculated strains with control exhibit that all four ST-PGPR strains simultaneously improved soil health in treated pot soil. It can easily be argued that inoculation may be a potential remedy for the salinity issue. It is therefore recommended that the ST-PGPR must be included in the production technology of crops growing in salinity-hit areas.