title: [Effects of drought stress on the grain yield and root physiological traits of maize varieties with different drought tolerance].
abstract: A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of simulated moderate drought in whole growth period on the grain yield and root physiological traits of drought-tolerant maize variety JK-628 and drought-sensitive maize variety ND-95. Compared with the control, the grain yield of JK-628 and ND-95 under the stress of moderate drought was decreased by 33.7% and 62.3%, respectively. Under drought stress, the root biomass of the two varieties decreased, with the maximum value appeared ahead. The root/shoot ratio of JK-628 increased at early growth stage but decreased at late growth stage, while that of ND-95 increased all along. ND-95 had a larger decrement of root activity than JK-628. The root SOD activity in drought-stress plants was higher in prophase but lower in anaphase, compared with that in the control, and the time of SOD activity begun to lower was later for JK-628 than for ND-95. The root MDA content in drought-stress plants was increased, and the increment was much higher for ND-95 than for JK-628. In addition, the root soluble protein content in drought-stress plants was decreased, and ND-95 had a larger decrement than JK-628. In a word, under drought stress, the root activity, SOD activity, and soluble protein content of JK-628 were higher than those of ND-95, which could slow down the root aging process and prolong the root functional period, possibly being one of the important factors of getting high yield of drought-tolerant maize under drought stress.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai 'an 271018, Shandong, China. 4368731@163.com
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Ji-Wang
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kong-Jun
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shu-Ting
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D055864:Droughts; D005838:Genotype; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D013482:Superoxide Dismutase