PJB-2011-392
SEMINAL ROOT OF MAIZE VARIETIES IN RELATION TO REDUCTION IN THE SUBSTRATE MOISTURE CONTENT
ASAD SHAH1, RABIA GOHAR1, S. KHALID2 AND MOHAMMAD AKMAL1*
Abstract
To study the different moisture regimes on root growth of maize varieties, this experiment was conducted at Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), Agricultural University, Peshawar Pakistan during summer 2008. Four moisture treatments i.e. favorable (100%), moderate (75%), low (50%) and very low (25%) were prepared with sand soil mixtures of 8:1 (w/w). Ten varieties of maize comprising three hybrids and seven synthetic were compared for the seminal root length and elongation rates. Germinated grains were transplanted in glass boxes (23x16x4 cm) filled with substrate having different moisture contents. Grains were separated from the substrate using black cotton cloth to avoid roots disappearance and/or penetration in substrate for elongation rate measurements. Rate of the elongation was calculated by marking root tips on the glass surface at each day on definite time intervals. The results showed that a reduction in root length was common by decreasing substrate moisture from favorable to any level. However, the decrease in root length was moderate to stronger when substrate’s moisture contents decreased form below 75%. Different varieties responded differently to the reduction in soil moisture contents showing that potential did exist in genotype for further improvement e.g. identification of marker genes and its transferring to existing commercial varieties to adopt them better in an environment when sowing was accomplished in hot summer months in soils where loss of moisture was relatively high. Reduction in substrate moisture has shown a decrease in root length which might has an almost similar effect on seedling establishment in early development phase and hence can accumulate in yield losses at maturity.
To Cite this article:
Download
