Root inoculation with Azotobacter chroococcum 76A enhances tomato plants adaptation to salt stress under low N conditions

Table 4 Effect of Azotobacter chroococcum 76A on the Relative Water Content (RWC), SPAD index, Water Potential, Net Photosynthesis (P), Stomatal Conductence (gs) of Micro Tom grown under increasing salinity (0, 50, 100 mM NaCl) and two nutrient regimens (Sub – Suboptimal, Opt- Optimal)

	P	gs	Water Potential	RWC	SPAD
	μmol m⁻² s⁻¹	mol m⁻² s⁻¹	MPa	%
Inoculum (I)
Control	1.5	0.013	−2.3	67.7 b	45.4 b
76 A	1.2	0.017	−2.2	71.0 a	52.3 a
Nutrent Solution (N)
Sub - 0 mM NaCl	2.0 a	0.020	−2.1	76.8 a	51.8 ab
Sub - 50 mM NaCl	1.8 a	0.015	−1.9	66.2 c	50.7 b
Sub - 100 mM NaCl	1.0 b	0.013	−1.8	68.7 bc	45.6 c
Opt - 0 mM NaCl	1.1 b	0.018	−2.5	71.3 b	54.3 a
Opt - 50 mM NaCl	0.8 b	0.010	−2.6	66.1 c	50.2 b
Opt - 100 mM NaCl	1.1 b	0.020	−2.7	67.1 c	40.7 c
Significance
I	ns	ns	ns	**	***
N	**	ns	ns	***	***
IxN	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns

ns, *; **, ***Non significant or significant at P ≤ 0.05, 0.01, and 0.001, respectively

ISSN: 1471-2229