Biological and Clinical Sciences Research Journal
ISSN: 2708-2261
www.bcsrj.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47264/bcsrj0101028
Biol. Clin. Sci. Res. J.,
Volume, 2020: e028
Original Research
EFFECTS OF WATER DEFICIT ON MAZE SEEDLINGS GROWTH
TRAITS
SHAFIQUE F,
ALI Q*, MALIK A
Institute
of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology), University of the Lahore, Lahore,
Pakistan
Corresponding author
email: saim1692@gmail.com
Abstract
Many
biotic and abiotic factors affect plant growth and
its development. Maize growth usually increased under excess water availability
but less tolerant against water deficit stress condition. In this study, we
investigated the effects of water stress on the growth and yield of maize. We
found that severe water stress during the seedling stage had a greater effect
on the growth and development of maize. Three maize varieties (Pak afghoi, Neelum, White corn) were
used to find out the effects on growth of plant under drought or water deficit
environmental conditions. Different drought stress treatments (Control, 20%
irrigation water, 40% irrigation water, 60% irrigation water, 80% irrigation
water) were imposed to growing seedlings after germination. The treatments were
applied after 4 times each after 7 days interval and data for different
morphological traits was recorded each time. The recorded data was pooled and
analyzed for analysis of variance to access the significance of results. The ANOVA
indicated the differences among five different genotypes and 5 different
treatments for all parameters were significant. Tukey’s
test indicated that maize genotype White corn was more tolerant while genotype Neelum was more sensitive for drought stress conditions therefore,
white corn maize genotype may be helpful for the development of drought
tolerance maize varieties and hybrids. Positive and significant correlation was
found for shoot length with all other studied traits under drought stress
conditions. Treatment control, 80% and 60% irrigation water was less adverse
for maize growth while treatment 20% irrigation water highly affected all maize
genotypes, therefore maize genotypes may be grow under treatment 60% irrigation
water.
Keywords: water stress,
maize, irrigation, genotypes, tolerant, sensitive, growth traits
Introduction
The
crop yield decreased due to biotic and abiotic
stresses like drought, heat, flooding, wind and cold. Agriculture scientists have
to face drought stress due to water shortage. Drought situation takes place in
result moisture loss from soil surface and short water supply to the soil.
Drought conditions decrease the turgor pressure that
affects normal plant functions (Hsiao,
1973). Under water
stress root weight increased while shoot weight decreased (Bänziger
et al., 2002). Drought stress
interfere the plant growth, organ development and flower production. Stomata
opening depend upon water availability. Under drought stomata activity
disturbed that affect physiological processes of plant. The enzyme activity is
also dependent on water availability. It decreases the production of reactive
oxygen species (ROS) which damages the chloroplast and cell membrane. Under
stress condition chloroplast produce high amount of ROS (Asada,
2000; Foyer et al., 1994; Vranová et al., 2002) that cause
necrosis and chlorosis in plants. Among the three
major cereal grain crops (maize, sorghum and pearl millet) maize crop produces
the maximum yield as compare to others under excess water quantity but the maize crop is least
tolerance to drought stress than others (Muchow,
2000). During low
rain fall maize is being removed by sorghum and pearl millet. Maize is one an
energy rich crop but more sensitive to drought stress. Insufficient
availability of soil water can affect the metabolic activities and biomass
production of maize. Maize production becom limited
due to unavailability of water (Jones
and Thornton, 2003). Drought is a
serious problem that other abiotic stresses that
decrease the photosynthetic rate and leading to reduce chlorophyll contents in
leaves (Chang
et al., 2008). However,
during the early vegetative growth maize can tolerate under water stress
because under this stage less water is available for maize growth but at
flowering stage full irrigation is required for maize growth (Kang
et al., 2000). Objective of
this study was to understand the effects of severe water stress (no water
supply) on maize growth and development. Drought stress reduce the leaf area
index (LAI) and biomass production that leads to reduce photosynthetic
activity, reduce kernel weight even
after the application of irrigation water (Kirda,
2002; Tariq and Usman,
2009).
Material
and methods
The
pot experiment was performed during 2018 to 2019 in the Green House of The University
of Lahore, Lahore. Three different maize genotypes (Pak afghoi,
Neelum, White corn) were purchased during July 2018 from
seed market. Seeds were sterilized with distilled water to remove contamination
before sowing into the soil. After it, pots were filled with nitrogen rich soil
for better growth. Total nine seeds of all maize genotypes were sown in each
pot. Different concentration of irrigation water (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%) was applied to understand the affect of drought stress
on maize seeding. One set considered as control in which 100% irrigation water
was applied. After germination, three plants were harvested from each pot at a
time and data was recorded carefully.
Different growth parameters such as shoot length, leaves per plant, shoot
water content, root water content, root-shoot fresh weight and root-shoot dry
weight was recorded carefully in physiology lab. Data was recorded with the
interval of 15 days. Shoot length was measured by using meter rod. Water
contents in shoot and root was determined by using formula
Moisture
percentage= Dry weight/Wet weight×100
Root
and shoot fresh weight was measured by using electric balance while dry weight
was measured by placing the sample in oven at 40ᵒC for 48h at physiology lab
The University of Lahore, Lahore. After it, sample was weighted in grams by
using electric balance to find out dry weight. Root shoot dry weight ration can
determine by given formula:
root/shoot weight ratio =Dry
weight for roots/dry weight for top of plant
Results and
Discussion
Analysis of
variance indicated that there were significant difference among
maize genotypes, treatments of drought stress and interactions between maize
genotypes and treatments of drought stress, as shown in table 1. It was found
that there was very low coefficient of variation for all growth parameters
indicated that there was higher consistency for all these growth parameters.
Table 1. Analysis of
variance for different growth parameters of maize seedlings under drought
stress treatments Probability
level=5%
Growth parameters |
Average value |
Coefficient of variation |
Statistical analysis |
Shoot
length |
18.543+1.0241 |
0.96 |
Significant |
Shoot
water contents |
69.085+2.414 |
1.05 |
Sig. |
Root
water contents |
64.832+3.078 |
0.56 |
Sig. |
Root
shoot fresh weight ratio |
0.9816+0.0003 |
1.52 |
Sig. |
Root
shoot dry weight ratio |
1.0481+0.0003 |
1.39 |
Sig. |
Tukey’s test indicated
that White corn maize genotype is more tolerant than others and Neelum genotype is more sensitive under drought stress
condition. In white corn genotype shoot length, shoot water contents, root
shoot fresh weight ratio androot shoot dry weight
ratio was not affected under drought condition while shoot length and root
shoot dry weight ratio were highly affected under drought stress condition in
maize genotype Neelum, as shown in table 2.
Table 2: All pairwise
comparison among different maize accessions for different growth parameters
(p < 0.05)
Growth parameters |
Maize accessions |
||
Neelum |
Pak afghoi |
White corn |
|
Shoot
length |
- |
|
+ |
Shoot
water contents |
|
- |
+ |
Root
water contents |
+ |
- |
|
Root
shoot fresh weight ratio |
|
- |
+ |
Root
shoot dry weight ratio |
- |
|
+ |
Tukeys test indicated
that treatment control highly affected maize genotypes which affected shoot
length and root water contents. While treatment 60% irrigation water was less
affected maize genotypes which did not affected shoot length and root water
contents. 60% irrigation water may be used to for next generation.
Table 3: All pairwise
comparison among different drought stress treatments for
different growth parameters
Growth parameters |
Heavy metal
treatments |
||||
Control |
20% irrigation water |
40% irrigation water |
60% irrigation water |
80% irrigation water |
|
Shoot
length |
|
- |
|
+ |
|
Shoot
water contents |
|
- |
|
+ |
|
Root
water contents |
|
+ |
|
|
|
Root
shoot fresh weight ratio |
|
|
|
- |
+ |
Root
shoot dry weight ratio |
|
- |
|
|
|
Negative
sig (-)= Highly affected
Positive
sig(+)=Less affected
Shoot length:
From
figure 1 it was found that higher shoot length was observed in maize genotype Neelum under treatment 20% irrigation water (18.46cm) while
lower shoot length was observed under treatment 60% irrigation water (17.34cm).
The genotype Pak afghoi showed higher shoot length
under treatment 60% irrigation water (19.26cm) while lowest shoot length was
observed under treatment of 20% irrigation water and control (16.14cm). For
genotype White corn the shoot length was found higher under the 80% irrigation
water (21.84cm) while lowest shoot length was found under treatment control
(18.53cm). The higher shoot length of White corn under drought stress
environmental conditions indicated that White corn showed more tolerance than
other genotypes under drought stress conditions therefore white corn maize
genotype may be helpful for the development of drought tolerance maize genotypes
and hybrids (Aaliya
et al., 2016; Ali et al., 2017; Seki et al., 2007; Yordanov et al.,
2000).
Figure
1. Shoot length of
maize genotypes under different drought treatments
Shoot water contents
Figure
2 showed that higher shoot water contents were observed in maize genotype Neelum under treatment 20% irrigation water (72.02%) while
lower shoot water contents were observed under treatment 60% irrigation water (69.71%).
The genotype Pak afghoi showed higher shoot water
contents under treatment 60% irrigation water (69.96%) while lowest shoot water
contents were observed under treatment of 20% irrigation water and control (68.19%).
For genotype White corn the shoot water contents were found higher under the
treatment 20% irrigation water (72.10%) while lowest shoot water contents were found
under treatment 80% irrigation water (67.33%). The higher shoot water contents
were found in maize genotype White corn than others under drought stress
environmental conditions (Ali
et al., 2015; Ali et al., 2013; Hütsch et al., 2014; Kang et al., 2000).
Figure
2. Shoot water
contents of maize genotypes under different drought treatments
Root water
contents
Figure
3 showed that higher root water contents were observed in maize genotype Neelum under treatment control and 20% irrigation water (68.20%)
while lower root water contents were observed under treatment 60% irrigation
water (66.35%). The genotype Pak afghoi showed higher
root water contents under treatment40% irrigation water and 60% irrigation water (66.30%) while
lowest root water contents were observed under
treatment 20% irrigation water and control (64.48%). For genotype White
corn the root water contents were found higher under the treatment 80%
irrigation water (65.42%) while lowest root water contents were found under
treatment 60% irrigation water (64.95%). The higher root water contents were
found in Maize genotype Neelum than others under
drought stress conditions (Ali et al., 2016; Ali et al., 2012; Kanwal et al., 2019; Nadeem et al., 2006; Zubair et al., 2016).
Figure
3. Root water
contents of maize genotypes under different drought treatments
Root/shoot fresh
weight ratio
Figure
5 showed that higher root shoot fresh weight ratio was observed in maize
genotype Neelum under treatment 60% irrigation water
(0.96) while lower root/shoot fresh weight ratio was observed under treatment control
(0.93). The genotype Pak afghoi showed higher root/shoot
fresh weight ratio was under treatment 20% irrigation water (0.96) while lowest
root shoot fresh weight ratio was observed under treatment 40% irrigation water
(0.92). For genotype White corn the root stem fresh weight was found higher
under the treatment 80% irrigation water (0.99) while lowest root stem fresh
weight was found under treatment control (0.87). The higher root/shoot fresh
weight ratio was found in maize genotype White corn than others under drought
stress environmental conditions (Ali
et al., 2014a; Ali et al., 2014b; Jones and Thornton,
2003; Tariq and Usman,
2009).
Figure
4. Root/shoot fresh
weight ratio of maize genotypes under different drought treatments
Root/shoot dry
weight ratio
Figure
5 showed that lower root shoot dry weight ratio was observed under treatment 40%
irrigation water (1.03). The genotype Pak afghoi
showed higher root/shoot dry weight ratio was under treatment 20% irrigation
water (1.08) while lowest root stem dry weight was observed under treatment 80%
irrigation water (1.03). For genotype White corn the root/shoot dry weight ratio
was found higher under the treatment control and 80% irrigation water (1.09)
while lowest root/shoot dry weight ratio was found under treatment 20%
irrigation water and 40% irrigation water (1.05). The higher root/shoot dry
weight ratio was found in Maize genotype White corn than others under drought
stress environmental conditions (Chang
et al., 2008; Khalil et al., 2020; Mazhar et al., 2020; Tahir et al., 2020).
Figure
5. Root/shoot dry
weight ratio of maize genotypes under different drought treatments
The
results from table 4 about correlation analysis among the studied traits showed
that a positive and significant correlation was found for shoot length with all
other studied traits under drought stress conditions. The results indicated
that the selection of maize genotypes on the basis of shoot length may be used
for the improvement of drought stress tolerance in maize genotypes (Ali et al., 2016; Ali et al., 2014b; Ashraf et al., 2020; Khalil et al., 2020).
Table
4. Pooled
correlation among different traits of maize under drought stress conditions
Traits
|
Shoot
length |
Shoot
water contents |
Root
water contents |
Root
shoot fresh weight ratio |
Shoot
water contents |
0.4249* |
|
|
|
Root
water contents |
0.3871* |
0.1530 |
|
|
Root
shoot fresh weight ratio |
0.6713* |
-0.2455 |
0.1924 |
|
Root
shoot dry weight ratio |
0.8342* |
0.2140 |
-0.0924 |
0.5723* |
* =Significant at 5% probability level
Conclusion
It
was concluded from analysis of variance and Tukey’s test
that White corn genotype was more tolerant than other under drought stress
because under drought stress shoot length, Shoot water contents, root stem fresh weight, root/shoot dry weight ratio was
high. While Neelum maize genotype was more sensitive
under drought stress because most of the growth traits such as shoot length,
shoot water contents, root water contents, root/shoot dry weight ratio and root/shoot
fresh weight ratio were badly affected under drought stress conditions
therefore white corn maize genotype may be helpful for the development of
drought tolerance maize genotypes and hybrids. Treatment control was more
affected for maize growth but treatment 60% irrigation water was less affected
for maize growth therefore maize genotypes may be grow under treatment 60%
irrigation water.
References
Hsiao, T. C. (1973).
Plant responses to water stress. Annual
review of plant physiology 24,
519-570.