Water stress tolerance of maize genotypes in temperate region of Yasouj

Sedaghati, Sedighe; Amiri Fahliani, Reza; Masoumiasl, Asad; Bahmankar, Moslem

doi:10.22077/escs.2025.7262.2268

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ MSc student, Agronomy & Plant Breeding Department, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

² Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

³ Department of Seed and Plant Improvement Research, Safiabad Agricultural Research, Education and Natural Resources Center, AREEO, Dezful, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22077/escs.2025.7262.2268

Abstract

Introduction
Maize (Zea mays L.) is considered a strategic and essential product for global food security and is used in human food and animal feed. Recent droughts and, in some cases, the ban on planting maize as a water-consuming crop have caused the yield and cultivated area of this valuable crop to decrease. Therefore, planning based on adaptation to drought is necessary for the sustainability of maize production. Water stress is one of the most critical environmental stresses in agriculture, so many efforts have been made to maintain plant yield under drought conditions. Water deficit stress negatively affects the growth and productivity of crop plants in various ways. Different crop plants have complex mechanisms that respond to water deficits. Drought resistance in these plants is influenced by several factors, including environmental humidity, the intensity of the stress, the phenological stage in which the stress occurs, and plant nutrition. The use of stress tolerance indices, which are calculated based on yield under stress and non-stress conditions, is effective in selecting high-yielding and stress-tolerant genotypes.
Materials and methods
The present experiment was carried out in the research farm of Yasouj University located in the Dashtrom region (51º E and 30º N, 1734 m altitude), Yasouj, Iran in 2023. To investigate the effect of drought stress on the yield and yield components of some maize hybrids to identify tolerant cultivars, the number of ten maize hybrids was evaluated in two separate experiments under normal and drought stress conditions in a randomized complete block design with three replications at the research farm of Yasouj University. The number of kernels per ear, the kernels per row, 200-kernel weight, grain yield, harvest index, stress susceptibility index (SSI), tolerance index (TOL), stress tolerance index (STI), geometrical mean productivity (GMP) and mean productivity (MP) were calculated. To check the homogeneity of variance in two experiments, Bartlett's test was performed for the evaluated traits. Analysis of variance based on combined analysis, mean comparison and principal components analysis was done using R software version 4.2.1, and some graphs were drawn using Excel software.
Results and discussion
The results of the combined analysis variance of the data showed that the interaction of Irrigation and genotype on the traits of kernel per ear, kernel per row, and 200-kernel weight was significant. In the same way, the results showed that the main effects of irrigation and genotype on grain yield, biological yield, and harvest index were significant. The results of mean comparisons showed that yield and yield components in all the studied genotypes decreased under stress conditions. Moreover, slicing the interaction effect of genotype at two irrigation levels indicated that genotype 1 was superior in terms of the number of kernels per ear and the 200-kernel weight compared with other genotypes and had more grain yield and biological yield. The results of principal components analysis based on tolerance indices located the studied genotypes in four regions and the first and second two components explained about 100% of the data variation. Considering that genotypes 1, 3, and 400 are located in region A, and give higher grain yield and yield components, it is recommended to plant in the region under normal and stress conditions. In addition, if there are no limitations on water resources, hybrids 4 and 410 may also be suitable.
Conclusion
Considering that genotype 1 had higher grain yield and yield components, and its performance stability, based on the biplot graphic representation, it was located in region A along with 3 and 400 hybrids. Therefore, it is recommended for planting in the region under stress-free and stressful conditions. In addition, if there are no restrictions on water resources in the region, in addition to this hybrid, hybrid 4 as well as 410 could be recommended.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Drought stress

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Water stress tolerance of maize genotypes in temperate region of Yasouj

References

References

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript Available Online from 14 April 2025

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 April 2025