Grain yield and phenotypic performances of maize inbreds under variable environmental conditions

Abstract

According to regional reports on climate, more frequent and severe droughts and floods are already apparent. Modern maize breeding for different purposes (e.g. drought tolerance) emphasizes the importance for improved maize ability to withstand adverse environmental conditions. Genotypes with drought tolerance obtain high grain yield under optimal conditions and lower, but stable yield under dry environmental conditions. Field testing was conducted in 2014, on twenty-three maize inbred lines differing in drought tolerance. The inbreds were evaluated in respect to morphological traits (plant and ear height, total number of leaves, number of leaves above uppermost ear, ear leaf length and width), yield components and grain yield per plant. The experiment was set up according to RCB design with two replications. To simulate water stress, two plant densities were applied. According to Principal Component Analysis and cluster analysis, five inbred lines (T1, T2, T4, T8 i T15) performed the highest stability in both experimental conditions. Those inbreds could be used as a source for drought tolerance in breeding programs.

Keywords

• climate changes
• grain yield
• growth
• inbred line
• Zea mays L