ABSTRACT Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are found in plant tissues and promote plant growth by secretion of hormones and enzymes, or by facilitating the nutrient uptake. This study assessed forty PGPB isolates to determine their effects on maize and sorghum growth. These isolates were also compared with uninoculated plants, as negative (-N; without N fertilization) and positive (+N; with N fertilization) controls. Plant height, stem diameter, shoot and root dry mass, leaf N accumulation and chlorophyll content were evaluated. For both the maize and sorghum, the height, stem diameter and shoot dry mass in plants inoculated with PGPB were similar to those of uninoculated plants supplied with N, and the responses for root mass were higher than in plants supplied with N. However, the PGPB isolates did not promote N accumulation and chlorophyll content similar to those of uninoculated plants supplied with N. The IPACC26 and IPACC30 isolates, both identified as Bacillus subtilis, resulted in better responses for plant growth and N accumulation than the other isolates.