Maize response to combined heat and water stresses under varying growth conditions

Abstract

Identificationof agronomic practices that can ameliorate the negative effect of combined heat and water stress on maize plants is vital in food security strategy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of heat and water stress on the growth of maize (Zea mays L.) under variable growth conditions. A repeated greenhouse factorial experiment laid out in a completely randomized design with four replications was performed. The factors were maize variety, water stress, soil amendment, and soil type. The results showed a depressive effect of water stress on the maize leaf area, chlorophyll content, stem diameter, dry biomass yield, and harvest index. These attributes decreased as the severity of the water stress increased with harvest index dipping by 30.3 and 92.9% in moderate water stress (MS) and terminal waterstress (TS) plants, respectively. Sandy clay loam soil gave higher maize growth and yield attributes than loamy sand soil. The varied growth conditions imposed by the different water stresses, soil types, and soil amendments elicited different responses from the three maize varieties. Mean stability analyses/ranking identified ZM1523 and WE5323 as the top-performing varieties under poultry manure amendment for both non-stress and MS conditions, whereas under TS their performance improved in combined poultry manure/mineral fertilizer and mineral fertilizer treatments. Similarly, WE3128 gave its best performance under mineral fertilizer amendment for non-stress, MS, and TS conditions. Therefore, under combined heat and water stress conditions, the interaction of maize variety, soil type, and soil amendment should be considered to guarantee a high maize yield.

Variation in Maize Grain Yield Indices When Exposed to Combined Heat and Water Stress Conditions under Different Soil Amendments

“…This phenomenon was consistent across all treatment interactions. The decrease in yield as water stress increased in this study aligned with earlier reports [26][27][28]31] on the depressive impact of water stress on maize grain yield.…”

“…In stress-prone environments, finding maize varieties that are tolerant to abiotic stresses will ensure food security. Maize varieties have been shown to have varying levels of tolerance to single or combined stress conditions [26,28,31], which is important for breeding and selection. The significant differences in maize yield attributes observed in this study can be attributed to their varying levels of tolerance to combined heat and water stress.…”

“…The three maize varieties used in this study are drought-tolerant and may be tolerant to both heat and water stress. The evaluation of drought-tolerant maize varieties under combined heat and water stress can aid in the development of maize varieties tolerant to both stress factors [26,31]. To ensure food production in the face of rising global temperatures and diminishing water resources, maize varieties that are tolerant to both heat and water stress must be identified [25].…”

The Influence of Parental Heat-Stress Priming on Drought-Tolerant Maize Progenies’ Field Performance

“…This finding highlights the importance of including heat stress tolerance in maize cultivar development [20]. It has been demonstrated that the response of maize plants to a single stressor differs from the synergistic effect of multiple stressors [3,4]. However, more research is needed to determine how these stressors affect maize progeny.…”

“…Plants, as sedentary organisms, respond to stress by modifying their physiological and genomic architecture [1]. These adjustments frequently result in decreased resource utilisation efficiency, which can result in yield losses ranging from minor to severe losses, or, in the worst-case scenario, plant death [2][3][4].…”