Effects of drought stress on germination indices of corn hybrids (Zea mays L.)

It is of prime necessity to establish genotypes resistant to drought stress; water deficit being one of the most common constraints of crop production in the world. In order to study the effect of drought stress on germination and early seedling growth of four hybrids of corn (namely KSC704, KSC475, KSC500 and Consor) using five concentrations of PEG 6000 (0, -4, -8, -12 and -16 bar) the experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with four replications of seed technology in the laboratory at the College of Abuoraihan, University of Tehran. Analysis of variance results for each hybrid were indicated marked differences for, stress levels and for most investigated traits, which demonstrated high diversity among hybrids. This enabled us to screen drought tolerant cultivar to determine the hybrid most tolerant to drought stress conditions. Taking all traits into account it was found that KSC704 was the most resistant and KSC500 was the most sensitive.