Responses of carbon metabolism and antioxidant system of summer maize to waterlogging at different stages

A field experiment was performed to explore responses of carbon metabolism, antioxidant system and endogenous hormone content of summer maize hybrids DengHai605 (DH605) and ZhengDan958 (ZD958) to waterlogging at the third leaf stage (V3), the sixth leaf stage (V6) and the 10th day after the tasselling stage (10VT). Results showed that waterlogging significantly decreased the contents of zeatin riboside (ZR), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA), compared to those of CK. However, leaf abscisic acid (ABA) content was significantly increased by waterlogging at different stages, with the most significant increase was found in the treatment of waterlogging at V3 (V3-W), with an increase of 30% and 29% for DH605 and ZD958, respectively. Waterlogging significantly decreased antioxidative enzyme activities, accelerating leaf senescence, resulted in the disorder of leaf gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. In addition, waterlogging decreased key enzyme activities of carbon metabolism (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase), with the most significant reduction in V3-W, with a decrease of 46% and 49% for DH605, and 53% and 55% for ZD958, respectively. Visibly, waterlogging disturbed carbon metabolism, affected plant endogenous hormone content, accelerated leaf senescence and eventually resulted in a significant reduction in photosynthetic characteristic and grain yield. V3 was most susceptible to waterlogging, followed by V6 and 10VT.