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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #245636
Title: Drought tolerance evaluation in maize germplasms: A field study

Author
item Chen, Junping
item Mahan, James
item Payton, Paxton
item XU, WENWEI - Texas A&M University
item Burke, John
item Xin, Zhanguo

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/30/2009
Publication Date: 11/5/2009
Citation: Chen, J., Mahan, J.R., Payton, P.R., Xu, W., Burke, J.J., Xin, Z. 2009. Drought tolerance evaluation in maize germplasms: A field study [abstract]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA. November 1-5, 2009, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Drought stress severely limits plant productivity and causes extensive economic loss to US agriculture. Understanding drought tolerance mechanisms in crop plants is crucial to alleviate the negative impact of drought stress on plant growth and development, especially on the reproduction tissues and crop yield. Maize inbred lines vary greatly in drought tolerance. To study the mechanisms contributing to drought tolerance in maize, eight maize inbred lines that vary in their drought tolerance levels were selected to conduct detailed physiological, biochemical, and genetic analyses at three irrigation levels. Parameters of water potential and photosynthesis were measured at different stages of drought treatments. Leaf samples were collected for metabolic measurement. Gene expression profiles are being conducted for selected inbred lines. The long term goal for this study is to identify drought tolerance mechanisms in maize, generate mapping population, identify major QTLs associated with drought tolerance, and select molecular markers for marker-assisted-selection of drought tolerant varieties in maize breeding program.