Physiological Strategies to Improve the Performance of Spring Maize (Zea mays L.) Planted under Early and Optimum Sowing Conditions
Bakhtavar, Muhammad Amir. Irfan Afzal. Shahzad Maqsood Ahmed Basra. Azraf-ul- Haq Ahmad. Mehmood Ali Noor . 2015
Low temperature at stand establishment and high temperature at reproductive stage are involved
in reduction of grain yield of spring maize. A field study was therefore conducted to
evaluate different physiological strategies for improving performance of spring maize under
temperature extremes. Seed priming and foliar spray with 3% moringa leaf extract (MLE)
and 100 mg L-1 kinetin solution alone or in all possible combinations with each other at three
growth stages (knee height, tasseling and grain filling stage) and hydropriming was compared
with control. Seed priming plus foliar spray of MLE and kinetin significantly improved
stand establishment especially under early sown crop as indicated by reduced mean emergence
time (MET), improved emergence index (EI) and final emergence percentage (FEP).
Similarly increased chlorophyll contents, crop growth rate, leaf area index, photosynthetic
rate, transpiration rate, relative water content and decreased membrane permeability were
recorded in both early and optimum sowing conditions in MLE priming plus foliar spray treatment.
All these improvements were harvested in the form of increased yield and harvest
index compared with control treatment. Overall crop sown at optimum time performed best
but exogenous application of MLE through seed priming and foliar spray maximally improved
the performance of early sown maize crop which is attributed more likely due to improved
stand establishment, chlorophyll and phenolic contents, increased leaf area duration and
grain filling period. It can be concluded that seed priming with MLE along with its foliar spray
could increase production of maize under temperature extremes.
Present study investigated the potential of priming with moringa leaf extract (MLE) and magnetized water (MW) alone or in combinations on germination, seedling growth and biochemical attributes of…
Temperature extremes adversely affect plant growth and productivity. Early planting is an option to avoid heat
stress at the reproductive stage, but maize may then be subjected to chilling…
Low temperature at stand establishment and high temperature at reproductive stage are involved
in reduction of grain yield of spring maize. A field study was therefore conducted to
…