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Effects of Severe Water Stress on Maize Growth Processes in the Field

Author

Listed:
  • Libing Song

    (College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi Province, China)

  • Jiming Jin

    (College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi Province, China
    Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA)

  • Jianqiang He

    (College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi Province, China
    Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semi-arid Areas, Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi Province, China)

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effects of water stress on the growth and yield of summer maize ( Zea mays L.) over four phenological stages: Seedling, jointing, heading, and grain-filling. Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016. We found that severe water stress during the seedling stage had a greater effect on the growth and development of maize than stress applied during the other three stages. Water stress led to lower leaf area index (LAI) and biomass owing to reduced intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) and radiation-use efficiency (RUE). These effects extended to the reproductive stage and eventually reduced the unit kernel weight and yield. In addition, the chlorophyll content in the leaf remained lower, even though irrigation was applied partially or fully after the seedling stage. Severe and prolonged water stress in maize plants during the seedling stage may damage the structure of the photosynthetic membrane, resulting in lower chlorophyll content, and therefore RUE, than those in the plants that did not experience water stress at the seedling stage. Maize plants with such damage did not show a meaningful recovery even when irrigation levels during the rest of the growth period were the same as those applied to the plants not subjected to water stress. The results of our field experiments suggest that an unrecoverable yield loss could occur if summer maize were exposed to severe and extended water stress events during the seedling stage.

Suggested Citation

  • Libing Song & Jiming Jin & Jianqiang He, 2019. "Effects of Severe Water Stress on Maize Growth Processes in the Field," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-18, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:18:p:5086-:d:268113
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