Effect of Deficit Irrigation Stress and Plant Density on Antioxidant ‎Enzymes Activity, Compatible Osmolytes, Relative Water Content and ‎Yield of Baby Corn (Pashan Cultivar)‎

In order to study the effect of deficit irrigation and plant density on antioxidant enzymes activity, compatible ‎Osmolytes, relative water content and yield of baby corn (Pashan cultivar) a field experiment based on ‎randomized complete block design (RCBD) arranged in split-plot with three replications was conducted at the ‎Education-Research Farm (With geographical position: 37°33' north, 59°11' east), Mashhad Branch, Islamic ‎Azad University, Mashhad, Iran, during in cropping season 2018-2019. Irrigation deficit at three levels (0 (Full ‎irrigation), 20 and 40% less than the irrigation requirement) was considered as the main plots and plant density ‎at three levels (100, 150 and 200 thousand plants/ha) were considered at the sub plots. Analysis of variance ‎showed that the effect of deficit irrigation on all variables, effect of plant density on relative water content, ‎husked cob yield, dehusked cob yield and dehusked standard cob yield and interaction between of two factors ‎on all variables (Expect: relative water content and superoxide dismutase activity) were significant. The results ‎showed that with increasing deficit irrigation (increasing stress) and increasing plant density, the relative water ‎content decreased. Also, with increasing deficit irrigation, superoxide dismutase activity increased. Mean ‎comparison of traits under influence of two factors showed that with increase of deficit irrigation and plant ‎density proline content, soluble carbohydrates and the activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes increased ‎due to increased drought stress and intraspecific competition. Husked cob yield, dehusked cob yield and ‎dehusked standard cob yield decreased due to of deficit irrigation. But at all levels of deficit irrigation, cob yield ‎increased with increasing plant density. In general, the results showed that drought stress increased the content ‎of compatible osmolytes and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the tested cultivar, but this increase was ‎not sufficient to reduce the effects of stress on yield.‎