Table 7 Pearson correlation coefficients (r) between maize plants’ growth parameters under salinity stress and growth of bacteria under stresses conditions

Shoot DW (mg)

1

Root DW (mg)

0.688**

1

Whole weight (mg/plant)

0.817**

0.981**

1

Shoot length

0.879**

0.471*

0.611**

1

Root length

0.717**

0.309 ns

0.439*

0.739**

1

Whole length

0.884**

0.463*

0.607**

0.995**

0.802**

1

Normal condition

−0.028 ns

−0.111 ns

−0.096 ns

−0.069 ns

−0.051 ns

−0.068 ns

1

Salt stress

−0.076 ns

0.005 ns

−0.017 ns

−0.120 ns

−0.122 ns

−0.125 ns

0.813**

1

Drought stress

−0.250 ns

−0.221 ns

−0.243 ns

−0.230 ns

−0.188 ns

−0.232 ns

0.885**

0.684**

1

Cold stress

0.159 ns

0.108 ns

0.129 ns

−0.025 ns

−0.131 ns

−0.041 ns

0.581**

0.524**

0.491*

1

Heat stress

−0.017 ns

−0.289 ns

−0.233 ns

−0.039 ns

0.233 ns

−0.001 ns

0.144 ns

0.029 ns

−0.014 ns

−0.287 ns

1

pH

−0.055 ns

−0.170 ns

−0.150 ns

−0.136 ns

0.112 ns

−0.104 ns

0.297 ns

0.208 ns

0.265 ns

−0.208 ns

0.754**

1