Effect of soil drought on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids grown under compacted soil

In this study, we examined responses of maize hybrids differing in susceptibility to soil compaction and drought in the case of their separate or combined action. We ran field and greenhouse experiments and determined effects on grain yield, biomass, weight of 1000 grains, shoot and roots dry matter (DM), shoot-to-roots ratio, harvest index, plant height, emergence index, leaf area and greening and root number and length. Individual and combined effects of both stresses were observed in the field and greenhouse. Compared with plants growing in loose soil and optimal irrigation (LI), the resistant hybrids in treatments HI, LD and HD showed a smaller reduction in GY, BY, S, R, R_N and R_L than the sensitive. In both groups, stress influence on HA, W-1000, LA and SPAD was smaller and the differences were insignificant. Compared with LI treatment, the roots of LD, HI and HD increased their DM, number and length in the upper level of the soil profile and the number of roots developed at 0–30° and 30–60° in relation to the root main axis. Analysis of those traits in the hybrids resistant and sensitive to both stress factors enabled to explain a defence response. Our study demonstrated that soil compaction and soil drought, which usually occurs simultaneously, caused significant changes in components of plant yield and showed plant plasticity in response to environmental factors under natural conditions.     

Comparison of Drought Tolerance of Maize,Sweet Sorghum and Sorghum‐Sudangrass Hybrids

In drought‐prone environments, sweet sorghum and sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids are considered worthy alternatives to maize for biogas production. The biomass productivity of the three crops was compared by growing them side‐by‐side in a rain‐out shelter under different levels of plant available soil water (PASW) during the growing periods of 2008 to 2010 at Braunschweig, Germany. All crops were established under high levels of soil water. Thereafter, the crops either remained at the wet level (60–80 % PASW) or were subjected to moderate (40–50 % PASW) and severe drought stress (15–25 % PASW). While the above‐ground dry weight (ADW) of sweet sorghum and maize was insignificantly different under well‐watered conditions, sweet sorghum under severe drought stress produced 27 % more ADW than maize. The ADW of sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids significantly lagged behind sweet sorghum at all levels of water supply. The three crops differed markedly in their susceptibility to water shortage. Severe drought stress reduced the ADW of maize by 51 %, but only by 37 % for sweet sorghum and 35 % for sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids. The post‐harvest root dry weight (RDW) in the 0–100 cm soil layer for maize, sweet sorghum and sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids averaged 4.4, 6.1 and 2.9 t ha^?1 under wet and 1.9, 5.7 and 2.4 t ha^?1 under severe drought stress. Under these most dry conditions, the sorghum crops had relatively higher RDW and root length density (RLD) in the deeper soil layers than maize. The subsoil RDW proportion (20–100 vs. 0–20 cm) for maize, sweet sorghum and sorghum‐sudangrass hybrids amounted to 6 %, 10 % and 20 %. The higher ADM of sweet sorghum compared with maize under dry conditions is most likely attributable to the deep root penetration and high proportion of roots in the subsoil, which confers the sorghum crop a high water uptake capacity.     

Influence of nitrogen deficiency or excess on a root system structure of maize and triticale seedlings grown under low and high soil density

Responses of maize and triticale seedlings, differing in the susceptibility to soil density stress, and grown under low (L_D) or high (H_D) soil density and poor (P_N), high (H_N) or control (C_N) nitrogen content in soil were investigated in relation to changes in physiological parameters—dry matter of shoot (S), root (R), shoot to root ratio (S/R), relative growth ratio of shoot and root (RGR), chlorophyll content (SPAD), total roots number and length (TRN, TRL), root penetration ability (RPA) and ratio of deep rooting (RDR). The seedlings grown under high soil density (H_D) and control N‐soil content (C_N) in comparison with L_D and C_N treatments showed a decrease in all measured parameters. Under poor and high nitrogen content, changes in the traits were higher for triticale than for maize. Higher differences between resistant and sensitive genotypes in TRN, TRL, RPA and RDR were observed particularly in the seedlings grown under H_D treatment. Differences in parameters values between seedlings grown under control and nitrogen‐rich soil may be considered as a positive interaction between stresses. Our results suggest that the type of root structure (scattered, dimorphic) would be helpful in enhancing modelling and agronomic management for improved of plant stress tolerance.     

水稻不同生育时期N素营养对FACE响应的研究

2001、2002年利用我国惟一的农田开放式空气CO2浓度增高(FACE)系统平台,研究不同施N量条件下,对武香粳14不同生育时期N素含量、N素吸收、N素分配和N素效率的影响,结果表明：(1)除移栽后16 d,FACE使其他生育期稻株含N率显著或极显著下降,生育中期的降幅大于生育前、后期;(2)FACE使水稻不同生育期N素吸收量增加,生育前期     

CO2浓度和氮素水平对春小麦水分利用效率的影响

试验设350和700 μmol mol-12种CO2浓度水平和0、 50、 100、 150、 200 mg N kg-1土5种N肥施用水平. 结果表明, CO2浓度增加对春小麦(Triticum aestivum L. Cv. Dingxi No.8654)地上部干物重、蒸散量(ET)和冠层水分利用效率(WUE)影响均决定于土壤氮素水平. 高氮处理地上部干物重和冠层WUE明显增加, 而ET值减少不明显; 低氮处     

高温干旱胁迫下水杨酸和钙对柑橘光合作用和叶绿素荧光的影响

水杨酸和CaCl2及其混合物喷施柑橘树防御高温干旱胁迫的试验表明,这三种处理都比对照清水使柑橘叶片的光合速率下降的少。但两种物质的混合施用比水杨酸和CaCl2单独使用的效果更好。三种处理都是主要通过保护叶片的光合机构少受伤害而起作用,水杨酸和CaCl2具有互相促进效应。     

Interactive Effects of Sudden and Gradual Drought Stress and Foliar‐applied Glycinebetaine on Growth,Water Relations,Osmolyte Accumulation and Antioxidant Defence System in Two Maize Cultivars Differing in Drought Tolerance

Influence of sudden and gradual drought stress (DS) and foliar‐applied glycinebetaine (GB) on growth, water relations, osmolyte accumulation and antioxidant defence system were investigated in the plants of two maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars, that is, drought‐tolerant Shaandan 9 (S₉) and drought‐sensitive Shaandan 911 (S₉₁₁). Sudden DS caused less accumulation of GB and free proline, but a more accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), which resulted in a greater reduction in leaf relative water content (RWC) and dry matter (DM) in both cultivars compared with the gradual DS. Exogenous GB application caused a rise in DM, RWC, contents of GB and free proline as well as the activities of SOD, CAT and POD along with a decline in MDA content to various extent in both cultivars under both types of DS. A more pronounced effectiveness of GB application was observed in S₉₁₁ than that in S₉ under the same type of DS. It seemed that the more serious damage of DS was on maize plants, and the better positive role of GB was observed in terms of mitigating the adverse effects of DS. From this study, it was possible to propose that hardening for drought resistance by gradual DS treatment and GB application are effective to make plants robust to thrive under water‐deficit conditions.     

Effects of soil drought during the vegetative phase of seedling growth on the uptake of 14co2 and the accumulation and translocation of 14C in cultivars of field bean (vicia faba L. Var. Minor) and field pea (pisum sativum L.) Of different drought tolerance

During the vegetative phase of growth of two field bean and two field pea cultivars of different drought tolerance, the effect of short and prolonged soil drought on gas exchange (CO₂ i H₂O), leaf water potential (ψ), stomatal diffusive resistance (r_S), uptake of CO₂, and the distribution and accumulation of ¹⁴C was studied. Differences in the response to drought conditions between resistant and susceptible cultivars were marked. After 5 days of soil drought, the decrease in net photosynthesis and transpiration rate and the increase of stomatal resistance were greater in the drought-resistant cultivars than in the drought-susceptible ones. In contrast, after 10 days of drought the decrease of leaf P_N (CO₂ assimilation rate), E (rate of transpiration) and ψ (water potential) was greater in the susceptible cultivars than in the resistant ones. Significant differences between the resistant and the susceptible cultivars were also observed in the assimilation and translocation of ¹⁴C by the green parts of the plant. The amount of carbon accumulation in roots in drought-susceptible cultivars increased less than in the drought-resistant cultivars. For treatments in which optimal soil watering was resumed after 5 or 10 days of drought there was no evidence of effects of drought on the majority of measurements, but the drought-resistant cultivars showed a general tendency for a more rapid recovery. Our results confirm the existence of genetic variability in drought tolerance among the cultivars of field bean and field pea. The recorded differences in the response to drought of experimental cultivars may indicate that, under water deficit in the soil and in plant tissues, they may use different strategies to avoid the damaging effects of temporary limitation of water supply; for example, the drought-resistant cultivars may more effectively conserve tissue hydration through effective stomatal closure. Also, the observed changes in carbon assimilation and accumulation might be the reason for their different responses to drought. The change in radioactivity losses in the control and stressed plants may result from the differences in demand for energy to maintain cell structure and function. Similarly, the less intense carbon accumulation in the roots of the sensitive cultivars could be caused by more harmful effects of drought on root growth.