Rhizobacteria and kinetin: a synergistic solution for enhanced maize drought tolerance and seed quality.

Drought stress substantially threatens global food security. To cope with this, a field-based trial was performed to examine the influence of PGPRs/microbial consortia (Cytobacillus firmus & Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and kinetin on the maize under full irrigation and 50% drought. The results of biochemical features of bacteria revealed positive for phosphorus, and zinc solubilization with great capacity to battle stress circumstances owing (ACC deaminase, Indole 3 Acetic acid IAA, and siderophore) production. Seeds treated with the PGPRs consortium along, with a kinetin foliar spray, greatly decreased the consequences of stress from drought on maize and improved yield characteristics, macronutrients, antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic content production under 50% drought stress. Osmolytes and secondary metabolites were up-regulated under full irrigation when the PGPRs consortium and kinetin were used. When PGPRs and kinetin were combined, the overproduction of malondialdehyde and H₂O₂ was reduced. Water stress decreased oil, kernel sugar, protein, and moisture content in maize cultivars, but increased seed fiber, starch, and ash. PGPRs and kinetin enhanced seed sugar, oil, moisture, protein, ash, and fiber levels in maize grown under well-irrigated and drought-stress environments. Finally, PGPR (10^-7 cfu/mL) and PGR (Kinetin10^-3 M) can be employed together to boost maize production in drought-prone areas.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01629-8.