Potassium Application Improves Grain Yield and Alleviates Drought Susceptibility in Diverse Maize Hybrids

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important component of global food security but its production is threatened by abiotic stresses in climate change scenarios, especially drought stress. Many multinational companies have introduced maize hybrids worldwide which have variable performance under diverse environmental conditions. The maize production is likely to be affected by a future water crisis. Potassium (K) is a well-known macronutrient which improves the performance of cereals under abiotic stresses. In this field experiment, we assessed the influence of soil applied K on the productivity of diverse maize hybrids grown under well-watered and drought stress conditions. The study consisted of three K levels viz., control (no KCl), KCl at 50 kg ha−1, and KCI at 75 kg ha−1 factorally combined with two irrigation levels (i.e., normal recommended irrigation, well-watered condition, and half of the recommended irrigation, drought stress condition) and eight maize hybrids. Irrigation was kept in main plots, potassium in subplot, and maize hybrids in sub-subplots. The results revealed that performance of the maize hybrids was significantly influenced by all three factors, and the interaction of irrigation with potassium and irrigation with hybrids was significant; results being non-significant for all other interactions. Potassium application improved yield traits and water productivity under both normal and water stress conditions but effect was more prominent under water stress conditions than normal conditions. Potassium application also alleviated drought susceptibility of all maize hybrids. In all cases, the performance of maize hybrids was maximum under potassium application at 75 kg ha−1.

Macronutrient Management Effects on Nutrient Accumulation, Partitioning, Remobilization, and Yield of Hybrid Maize Cultivars

“…Hence, post-silking K accumulation failed to exert significant impact on grain yield. Positive effects of dry matter ( Birch et al, 1999 ; Bodnár et al, 2018 ), N ( Tsai et al, 1992 ; Plénet and Lemaire, 1999 ), P ( Wang and Ning, 2019 ; Ahmed et al, 2020 ), and K ( Bhattacharyya et al, 2018 ; Ul-Allah et al, 2020 ) accumulation on grain yield of maize have been well documented by previous researchers across different geographical locations. Findings of our study agree with those outcomes of the previous research.…”

Regulation of Agronomic Traits, Nutrient Uptake, Osmolytes and Antioxidants of Maize as Influenced by Exogenous Potassium Silicate under Deficit Irrigation and Semiarid Conditions

“…In maize, K alleviates the harmful effects of drought stress by different strategies, including the improvement of net carbon assimilation and phloem transport of sugars from leaves to roots [18]. Moreover, K can enhance leaf area, total yield, grain filling and water use efficiency (WUE) in the stressed plants by decreasing leaf evapotranspiration [19]. In addition, K could play a key role in preventing oxidative damage of the maize plants by maintaining ROS homeostasis and enhancing antioxidant capacity [20].…”

Interactive Effect of Biochar and Silicon on Improving Morpho-Physiological and Biochemical Attributes of Maize by Reducing Drought Hazards

“…Maize is very sensitive to water stress which causes great losses in the final yield with drought stress (Khan et al 2015;Hussain et al 2019). Water stress to maize weakens the metabolic activity, decreases its biomass accumulation, and reduces photosynthesis activity by minimizing chlorophyll content in leaves resulting in decreased final yield (Ul-Allah et al 2020). Drought stress at vegetative growth stage can severally damage growth rate, redirect plant roots, and modify carbohydrate distribution and prolong the vegetative growth of maize and seriously inhibit the leaf area and decrease yield (Cakir 2004;Ul-Allah et al 2020).…”

“…Water stress to maize weakens the metabolic activity, decreases its biomass accumulation, and reduces photosynthesis activity by minimizing chlorophyll content in leaves resulting in decreased final yield (Ul-Allah et al 2020). Drought stress at vegetative growth stage can severally damage growth rate, redirect plant roots, and modify carbohydrate distribution and prolong the vegetative growth of maize and seriously inhibit the leaf area and decrease yield (Cakir 2004;Ul-Allah et al 2020). Leaf temperature is increased and associated with decreased leaf water potential, relative water content, and lowered rate of transpiration due to plants' exposure to drought stress (Fahad et al 2017;Bi et al 2017).…”