*3.1. Number of Bitter Gourds per Plant*

Effects of PGPRs and RNPKF under different levels of Cd were significant (*p* ≤ 0.05) on the number of bitter gourds per plants (BDP). Inoculation of PGPRs and RNPKF have significant main and interactive effects on BDP at 2 and 5 mg kg−<sup>1</sup> soil. Application of RNPKF + *S. maltophilia*, RNPKF + *A. fabrum*, RNPKF, *S. maltophilia* and *A. fabrum* showed significant positive effect over control at 2 and 5 mg Cd kg−<sup>1</sup> soil for BDP (Figure 1). Interaction between PGPRs and RNPKF at 2 mg Cd kg−<sup>1</sup> soil (Figure 2A) and 5 mg Cd kg−<sup>1</sup> soil (Figure 2B) were significant ordinal for BDP (Figure 2B). It was noted that Cd showed non-significant negative correlation (−0.1451; *p* = 0.3986) with BDP. However, PGPR (0.5863; *p* = 0.0002) and RNPKF (0.3237; *p* = 0.0541) showed positive significant correlation with BDP (Figure 3). The maximum increase of 34% and 68% in BDP was observed from control where RNPKF + *A. fabrum* was applied at 2 and 5 mg Cd kg−<sup>1</sup> soil, respectively.

**Figure 1.** Number of bitter gourds per plant (BDP) treated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs), recommended NPK fertilizers (RNPKF), and their combination under 2 and 5 mg Cd kg−<sup>1</sup> soil. Different small letters express significant differences (*p* ≤ 0.05).

**Estimated Marginal Means of BDP 2 mg Cd kgƺ<sup>1</sup> soil Estimated Marginal Means of BDP 5 mg Cd kgƺ<sup>1</sup> soil**

**Figure 2.** Interaction graph of *S. maltophilia* (NS1), *A. fabrum* (NS2), and RNPKF at 2 (**A**) and 5 mg Cd kg−<sup>1</sup> soil (**B**) for number of bitter gourd per plant (BDP).
