Agronomy 2018, 8(8), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8080151
Water Stress Influence on The Vegetative Period Yield Components of Different Maize Genotypes
Cassyo De Araujo Rufino 1, Jucilayne Fernandes-Vieira 1, Jesús Martín-Gil 2, José De Souza Abreu Júnior 3, Lizandro Ciciliano Tavares 3, Marciabela Fernandes-Correa 2 and Pablo Martín-Ramos 4,*
1
Faculdade Guanambi, Rua Presidente Costa e Silva, 460 Bairro Bela Vista, 46430-000 Guanambi, BA, Brasil
2
Department of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering, ETSIIAA, University of Valladolid, Avenida de Madrid 44, 34004 Palencia, Spain
3
Seed Science and Technology Laboratory, Federal University of Pelotas, 96001-970 Pelotas, RS, Brazil
4
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Higher Polytechnic School of Huesca, University of Zaragoza, Carretera de Cuarte s/n, 22071 Huesca, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 30 June 2018 / Revised: 28 July 2018 / Accepted: 15 August 2018 / Published: 17 August 2018
Abstract
Maize is an important food staple in many countries, and is useful in animal feed and many industrial applications. Its productivity is highly sensitive to drought stress, which may occur at any period during its growth cycle. The objective of this work was to compare the water stress influence on the performance of different maize genotypes in critical vegetative stages. Four genotypes of maize (namely a single-cross hybrid (AG 9045), a double-cross hybrid (AG 9011), a triple-cross hybrid (AG 5011), and a variety (AL Bandeirante)) were subjected to a 10-day period without irrigation in the vegetative stages that determine the number of kernel rows and the plant’s ability to take up nutrients and water (V4, V6 and V8). The impact of low water availability was assessed by analyzing plant height, height of the first ear insertion, stem diameter, yield per plant, and number of rows per ear, evincing that the yield per plant was the most sensitive parameter in all the stages. With regard to the influence of the genotype, the single-cross hybrid was demonstrated to be the most resilient to water shortage. View Full-TextKeywords:
drought stress; genotype; grain yield; Zea mays L.
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De Araujo Rufino, C.; Fernandes-Vieira, J.; Martín-Gil, J.; Abreu Júnior, J.D.S.; Tavares, L.C.; Fernandes-Correa, M.; Martín-Ramos, P. Water Stress Influence on The Vegetative Period Yield Components of Different Maize Genotypes. Agronomy 2018, 8, 151.
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