Evaluation of Drought Tolerance in Maize Hybrids (Zea mays L.)

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of water deficit stress on morphological traits, yield and yield components of 60 maize single cross hybrids at Torough Agricultural and Natural Resources Research C enter located in Mashhad, Iran on 2013. This experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. The irrigation treatments were consisted of two irrigation levels (50 and 80 percent allowed water depletion as normal and drought stress, respectively). The result of ANOVA showed significant differences among single cross hybrids for all of measured traits in both conditions. In non-stress or normal condition, hybrids No.4 and in stress condition, hybrids No.9 were the best hybrids for grain yield with 13.30 and 9.02 ton/ha, respectively. According to the indices MP, GMP, STI and HARM among the studied hybrids the promising hybrids No.1 and No.1,4 and9 were recommended for water stress condition in Mashhad regions. During periods of lower growth in hybrid and non-treated with high temperatures during pollination can cause lead to the compounds than others. The correlation results showed the positive and significant relation between potential for performance (no stress) indices MP, GMP, STI, TOL and HARM. Most significant and positive correlation between the indices was related to GMP and STI (0.99). In general, hybrids L1×k1263/1, L5×k1263/1, L10×k1263/1 and 14×k1263/1 due to the high level of tolerance can be used in breeding programs.