Screening of Maize Genotypes for Drought Tolerance Using Line Source Sprinkler Irrigation Technique

Abstract

During rabi 2016-17 preliminary study was undertaken under pot culture newlineexperiment with ten selected maize genotypes, to study the influence of varying newlineperiods and cycles of moisture stress on morphological, physiological and biochemical newlineparameters and under field study 40 maize genotypes were screened for drought newlinetolerance by using line source sprinkler irrigation technique during rabi/summer newline2016-17 and 2017-18. newlineIn pot culture studies, the drought tolerant genotypes, G10- CYMMIT 7, newlineG8- DMH 17, G3- CM 500 and G2-KDMI 16 showed remarkable differences in newlineparameters studied over their susceptible counter parts. The early stress induced for 20 newlinedays was higher detrimental for plant growth. The late stress induced for 10 days at newlinelate stages had less effect on plant growth. These genotypes had significant recovery newlineafter alleviation of stress and maintained higher plant height, leaf area, dry matter, newlineRWC, chlorophyll content and free proline. Even during stress clearly indicated their newlinesuperiority over their susceptible counter parts during stress and recovered higher after newlinealleviation of stress for these characters. newlineIn field studies, considering all the drought tolerant traits, the genotypes found newlinemoisture deficit tolerant are G4-DMIL 78, G8-DMIT 11, G9-DMIL 132, G10-DMIT- newline27, G13-DMID 35, G14-DMIL 117, G15-DMIL 23, G16-DMIL 13, G21-DMIL 47, newlineG22-DMID 147, G24-DMIL 84, G26-DMIL 63, G27-DMIT 65, G28-DMIT 01, newlineG29-DMID 02, G30-DMIL 97, G32-DMIL 50, G37-DMIDS 10, G38-DMIDS 15 and newlineG39-DMIDS 28. The genotypes G2-DMIL 29, G23-DMID 05, G6-DMIT 30, newlineG25-DMIL 99, G12-DMIL 58, G7-DMIL 112, G19-DMID 16, G5-DMIL 150, newlineG17-DMIL 52 and G1-DMIL-281 were found susceptible among the all the newlinegenotypes. newline