Drought stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) in local maize at the early seedling stage

Drought stress adversely impacts growth, crop production, reproductive organ development, and yield characteristics in maize. As a drought-sensitive crop, maize (Zea mays L.) shows considerable varietal differences. A study was conducted at the Tissue Culture Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of North Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia in order to identify drought-tolerant maize varieties. During germination and early seedling growth, 16 local accessions were evaluated for drought tolerance. Based on local climate and soil conditions, these specific accessions were chosen. The varieties were tested against five levels of drought stress imposed by Polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG-6000) at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%. An experiment with three rep-lications was conducted using a completely randomized design. In the study, local maize accessions (BI3, SB5, DS2, and MN3) and the hybrid variety (H) showed the capability of tolerating drought stress. Generally, germination time, germination percent and vigor index, root and shoot length, shoot ratio, and fresh and dry weight were decreased by increasing PEG concentrations (up to 50%). Ac-cording to ANOVA results, shoot water content was not significantly affected by the PEG, nor was the interaction between the PEG and the accessions. The root water content, however, was significantly affected by PEG, and the interaction between PEG and accessions. Although interactions between accessions with low PEG concentrations improved germination characteristics, the root histology of the accessions varied. According to drought tolerance indexes, five maize accessions are drought-tolerant, including H (0.683), SB5 (0.617), DS2 (0.565), MN3 (0.512), and BI3 (0.504). The drought-tolerant varieties are recommended in regions with low rainfall or low water sources since they are less water-intensive and produce higher yields.

Automated summary

Drought stress has a negative impact on maize growth and yield. This study aimed to identify drought-tolerant maize varieties and found that local accessions BI3, SB5, DS2, and MN3, as well as the hybrid variety H, showed tolerance to drought stress. Increasing levels of Polyethylene glycol 6000 caused a decrease in germination characteristics and growth parameters. The drought tolerance indexes indicated that H, SB5, DS2, MN3, and BI3 are drought-tolerant maize varieties.