Study of response to drought stress and evaluation of new corn hybrids using statistical multivariate methods

In order to study effect of drought stress on morphologic traits, yield and yield components of 34 hybrids of corn, an experiment was carried out on based of complete randomized block design with three replication under drought stress condition in Khorasan Razavi Agricultural Research and Natural Resources Institute Mashhad, Iran on 2010. Results of analysis of variance showed that there are significant different between all hybrids for all traits. Results of hybrid means comparison with Duncan’s multiple range test showed that hybrid No. 11was better than others in yield trait (5.69 ton/ha). Result of simple correlation between traits showed that number of kernel in row was the highest correlation with yield. Using stepwise regression was performed for corn hybrids and eight traits have been extracted, which describe most of model variations. Path analysis showed that ear weight was the highest direct effect and 300 kernel weights were lowest on total yield. Factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed and seven common factors have been extracted, which describe most of traits variation. First and second factor nomination as yield and ear morphological traits respectively. Cluster analysis with Ward’s method, arrangement hybrids into four different groups.