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Transpiration Response of Maize Hybrids to Atmospheric Vapour Pressure Deficit
Author(s) -
Gholipoor M.,
Choudhary S.,
Sinclair T. R.,
Messina C. D.,
Cooper M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/jac.12010
Subject(s) - transpiration , vapour pressure deficit , hybrid , agronomy , biology , trait , crop , growing season , horticulture , botany , photosynthesis , computer science , programming language
Abstract Maize ( Z ea mays L .) yield is often restricted by low soil water availability, particularly late in the growing season. To increase yields, genetic options for more effective use of available soil water are being explored. One option is to select genotypes that have restricted transpiration rate under high vapour pressure deficit ( VPD ) conditions so that soil water is conserved for use later in the growing season. While genetic variation for this trait has been identified within several crop species, such variation has never been explored in maize. The objective of this study was to examine transpiration rate of 35 single‐cross hybrids to determine whether hybrids can be identified that express limited transpiration under high VPD . Two sets of experiments were undertaken in which plants were exposed to a range of VPD in chambers. A two‐phase transpiration response was observed in 11 hybrids in which there was a threshold VPD above which transpiration rate was restricted. The VPD threshold varied from 1.7 to 2.5 kP a among these hybrids. Eight hybrids were included in both sets of experiments, and the same results were obtained in both experiments, indicating that expression of the trait was consistent.