Abstract

The agrobiological effectiveness of maize inoculation with microbial strains, from arid and semiarid regions of Northern Mexico (‘3025W’), cultivated under irrigation conditions, was evaluated. We studied the impact of six experimental strains of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [3 (Glomus mosseae), 20 (Gigaspora albida), 32 (G. mosseae), 35 (G. mosseae), 39 (G. mosseae) and 55 (Gigaspora albida)], a consortium of Pseudomonasspp. (Bacteriano 2709) (Ba), arbuscular mycorrhizal INIFAP (Rhizophagus intraradices) (M), and fertilized control with 120 and 40 kg ha^-1 N and P, respectively (TC). The results in flowering stage indicated that greater chlorophyll index and foliar N were with M and TF; higher foliar P content was with strain 35; Fe with 39; and Zn was registered with Ba. Dry biomass production was increased with M, Ba and TC; and radical biomass were with 35 and M. Strains that exhibit the greatest colonization were 20, 32, 55 and M. Grain yield of TC exceeded 15.3% than M, at a time it was superior to the rest of microbe strains. The results showed that potential microbe inoculants expression in growth, nutrition and maize yield vary according to strain used.

Key words: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, rhizobacteria, nutrition, Zea mays.