مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Relations Between Water Use Efficiency and Related Physiological Parameters of Maize in Field Conditions

Abstract :

The aim of this study was to compare some hybrid maize genotypes in terms of water use efficiency (WUE) and examine some physiological traits associated with WUE in maize. The experiment is conducted with 10 different hybrid maize genotypes and 2 different environments which are deficit and full irrigation in experimental fields of Ege University, Faculty of Agriculture, and Department of Field Crops. Total grain yield, total dry weight, thousand grain weight, transpiration, evaporation, water use efficiencies and proline content of plants were determined in maize genotypes. As a result of deficit irrigation, there was no significant effect on total grain yield, total dry weight and thousand grain weights of genotypes. Total transpiration of genotypes were not significantly affected by different irrigation applications, while total evaporation from the canopies varied. Water deficit (% 20) caused an increase in both transpiration based water use efficiency (WUETr) and irrigation based water use efficiency (WUEir). Average WUEti values were 3.97 mg/g and 4.42 mg/g under full and deficit irrigation conditions, respectively. Similar increases were recorded in WUEir values which are 1.77 kg/ton and 2.04 kg/ton under full and deficit irrigation conditions, respectively. XTH8406 had better performance than other genotype in terms of WUEti and WUEir. Furthermore, it may be suggested that XTH8406 had a potential for breeding programmes to increase water use efficiency.