Assessment and selection of some drought tolerance indices in maize populations

Abstract EN

This Research was conducted at the Department of Maize Research -General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR- Damascus / Syria) during the growing seasons of 2009, 2010 and 2011, to study the effects of mild water stress on the yield of 16 genotypes of maize, in order to evaluate the ability of several selected indices to identify drought tolerance genotypes, and to study the phenotypic correlation and path coefficient analysis among yield and drought indices under stress conditions.

The genetic material included four single hybrids F1 , their parents and their F2 populations.

The analysis of variances indicated significant differences among the genotypes for yield under stress and normal conditions and between the genotypes for all drought indices.

The yield under normal conditions was 15% more than under stress.

According to drought indices, the single hybrids S0 )IL.275-06 x IL.362-06), S0 (IL.260-06 x IL.792-06) and the inbred lines (IL.256-06), (IL.275-06) and the F2 population S1 )IL.362-06 x IL.275-06) were the most tolerant under water stress.

Grain yield under stress condition was positively and significantly correlated with grain yield under non stress condition, GMP, HM, SDI, DRI and ATI, and the correlation were negative and significant with SSI, RDY.

Path coefficient analysis indicated that HM, GMP and DRI are important selection criteria for improving yield under stress.