Impact of seed coating with superabsorbent polymers on morphological, physiological and production traits of maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) is considered one of the most important grains in nutrition and a notable bioenergetic crop (Bassu et al. 2014), although as reported by Perera and Weerasinghe (2014), the most significant part of production is used as feed for farm animals, part for human nutrition, various industrial processing, and export. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) show that global maize production in 2020 was 1 162 million tons (FAO 2022). However, with the increasing trend of global climatic changes, it is expected that the grain yield and maize quality will decrease as a result of biotic and abiotic stresses (Sabagh et al. 2018). Among abiotic factors, drought is one of the most significant factors limiting field crop productivity (Hassan et al. 2016).