Effects of Water Deficiency on the Physiology and Yield of Three Maize Genotypes
Abstract
Three maize genotypes research experiment was carried out in the experimental farm of University of Debrecen, Hungary. The genotypes were subjected to two different treatments, (irrigated and non-irrigated) where the irrigated was the control experiment. Physiological parameters (SPAD, LAI, HEIGHT) and grain yield (kg ha-1) were measured and statistically computed. From our results, SPAD, LAI and HEIGHT values were significantly affected by water stress in the three studied genotypes. Grain yield was reduced in two of the studied genotypes (S.Y Zephir and S.Y Chorintos). But no significant difference was notice in the KWS 4484 cultivar. LAI was not affected in the second measurement in the S.Y Chorintos genotype and, plant height did not record any difference in the first measurement in the KWS 4484 cultivar. Our results suggest second experiment to specifically look at the critical stage in the genotypes growth where water stress has the severe effect on the studied genotypes.
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Introduction
Maize (Zea mays L)is an important cereal crop consumed by both human beings and animals allover the world. It is also an important industrial crop which serves as a raw material to produce corn sugar, corn starch, corn syrup and industrial corn oil. (Onwueme ICand Sinha TD, 1991; Ekpeyong TE, 1985; Anochili BC, 1984). Maize crop has more genetic diversity than other cereals and is one of the most cultivated cereal crops worldwide. It is ranked as the third world cereal produced following wheat and rice as reported Food and Agriculture Organization (FOA, 2002).
Water deficit has been recognised as one most single yield reducing factor for crops. Water deficit may occur frequently even in regions characterized by high annual rainfall. Water deficit affect growth and decrease the conversion of radiation into biomass in the maize. ( Bohnert and Bressan, 2001; Otegui et al., 1995). Maize is very sensitive to drought two weeks before and two to three weeks after silking (Otegui et al., 1995; Hall et al., 1992). Drought stress is an important environmental factor in the reduction of plants growth and development. Hayat and Ali (2004), stated that, moisture stress is a limiting factor for crop growth in arid and semi-arid regions due to low and uncertainty precipitation. Water deficiency is a critical problem limiting maize growth through its impact on the physiological, morphological and biochemical processes. Water stress in maize crop production affects cell enlargement and thus reduces stem length by inhibiting inter-nodal elongation and also checks the tillering capacity of the maize plant (Ashraf M and Oleary JW, 1996; Chaves MM and Oliveira MM, 2004). According to (Dutt, 2005), Maize cultivars differ in their growth characteristics, yield and yield components and there recommend that growers and breeders must select the most promising combiners in their breeding programmes.
Conclusion
The effects of water deficiency on the physiological parameter and grain yield on maize cannot be overemphasized as the results in this study showed different reaction by the different maize genotypes used for this experiment. This study confirms that irrigation significantly affect chlorophyll measurement in all the three genotypes. Leaf area index was affected by water stress in KWS 4484 and S.Y Zephir genotypes but S.Y Chrorintos was not affected. Water deficit also significantly affected maize height except KWS 4484 genotype. The effects of this physiological parameters translated to the maize grain yield which resulted in the reduction in yield in all the studied genotypes under the drought stress treatments and was significantly noticed in the S.Y Zephir and S.Y Chrorintos genotypes in this study. This experiment could be repeated to further investigate the critically sensitive stages of this genotype’sgrowth to water stress for one year of study is not enough to conclude of definite results, although it gives an initial understanding of drought effect on maize genotypes.
