Table 3 Effect of microbial inoculation on plant biometric parameters of chickpea (var. Pusa 362) grown under water stress.

19.34 ± 0.410^a

17.76 ± 0.16^e

323.00 ± 6.65^c

138.33 ± 13.56^c,d,e

0.21 ± 0.039^a

23.56 ± 0.46^a

0.95 ± 0.05^a,b

18.80 ± 0.151^a,b

36.11 ± 0.11^a

666.00 ± 26.27^a

265.67 ± 8.95^a

0.15 ± 0.009^a,b

21.27 ± 1.99^a,b,c

0.92 ± 0.02^a,b

17.61 ± 0.831^a,b

14.41 ± 0.11^g

169.67 ± 2.90^e

63.00 ± 1.15^g

0.16 ± 0.015^a,b

21.80 ± 1.66^a,b,c

0.92 ± 0.01^a,b

17.71 ± 1.006^a,b

21.65 ± 0.02^c

325.67 ± 11.83^c

122.33 ± 4.33^d,e

0.18 ± 0.014^a,b

21.95 ± 0.18^a,b,c

0.93 ± 0.03^a,b

18.35 ± 0.950^a,b

20.99 ± 0.47^c

270.64 ± 8.01^d

89.67 ± 3.18^f

0.17 ± 0.013^a,b

23.03 ± 0.88^a,b

0.94 ± 0.06^a,b

16.97 ± 1.248^a,b

11.84 ± 0.59^h

214.33 ± 3.18^d

83.00 ± 0.58^f

0.14 ± 0.010^a,b

19.29 ± 1.81^c,d

0.87 ± 0.01^b

16.71 ± 1.237^a,b

17.21 ± 0.15^e,f

327.33 ± 1.45^c

120.67 ± 8.95^e

0.13 ± 0.017^b

21.45 ± 0.71^a,b,c

0.88 ± 0.02^b

17.51 ± 0.574^a,b

23.84 ± 0.25^b

424.67 ± 2.90^b

184.33 ± 3.76^b

0.19 ± 0.014^a,b

22.54 ± 0.72^a,b,c

0.99 ± 0.02^a

17.19 ± 0.634^a,b

16.79 ± 0.05^f

321.00 ± 2.08^c

145.00 ± 1.73^c

0.21 ± 0.021^a,b

20.99 ± 1.03^a,b,c

0.96 ± 0.02^a,b

17.13 ± 0.356^a,b

16.47 ± 0.10^f

290.31 ± 4.40^c

139.33 ± 1.45^c,d

0.18 ± 0.016^a,b

19.75 ± 0.64^b,c

0.95 ± 0.02^a,b

16.27 ± 0.172^b

20.01 ± 0.58^d

296.00 ± 1.52^c

133.67 ± 1.45^c,d,e

0.18 ± 0.026^a,b

20.86 ± 1.03^a,b,c

0.92 ± 0.02^a,b

11.88 ± 0.172^c

5.38 ± 0.53ⁱ

99.00 ± 4.04^f

40.33 ± 0.89^h

0.15 ± 0.032^a,b

16.11 ± 0.64^d

0.74 ± 0.02^c