The use of inoculants in maize crops has been increasing due to benefits that it brings to the plants such as nitrogen biological fixation and increase in root growth. This can lead to better water and nutrient absorption by the plants, contributing to the plant development, mainly in dry weather periods. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic features of maize hybrids inoculated with a mixture of three species of Azospirillum (A. brasilense, A. lipoferum, A. oryzae), under field conditions. The relative leaf chlorophyll content, plant height and leaf senescence were evaluated during the maize cycle. After harvest, the components of grain yield, N content and dry mass of the leaves, and the most probable number of N fixers in the rhizosphere of the plants were analyzed. The inoculation increased the chlorophyll content in the maize leaves until the R3 stage, for the three hybrids tested. It also increased the dry mass of shoots of the hybrids AS 1575 and SHS 5050; the 1,000 grain weight of the hybrid P32R48; and height of AS 1575. It was found an interaction between maize genotypes and inoculated bacteria, since each hybrid tested responded differently to the inoculation. The inoculation of Azospirillum on maize promotes the development of plants in the growing season, increases the probability of obtaining a uniform plant stand, better resistance to stress and better concentration of chlorophyll in the leaves.
biological nitrogen fixation; yield grains; inoculation; diazotrophic bacteria
