The study looked at how different levels of phosphorus affect the growth of two types of maize plants. They found that when there was less phosphorus, the plants were shorter and had less leaves and roots. The soil became more acidic, and the number of bacteria decreased. The plants with longer roots and more bacteria grew better. One type of maize, 'Liyu 16', performed better than 'Jidan 28' because it had longer roots and more bacteria in the soil.