This research was carried out in 2014 at the Research Farm of the University of Tabriz, Iran. The experiment was arranged as split plot on the basis of randomized complete block with three replicates to assess the effects of four irrigation intervals (irrigations after 60, 80, 100 and 120 mm evaporation) on physiological and agronomical traits of three cultivars of maize (Zea mays L.; 'SC704', 'NS640', 'DC303': late, mid and early maturing, respectively). Irrigation intervals and maize cultivars were assigned to the main and sub-plots, respectively. Leaf temperature of all maize cultivars significantly increased, but chlorophyll content index, maximum efficiency of photosystem II, number of grains per plant, 1000 grain mass, plant biomass, grain yield and harvest index significantly decreased with increasing irrigation intervals. Late maturing cultivar ('SC704') was superior in all studied traits, followed by mid ('NS640') and early ('DC303') maturing cultivars. It was concluded that water limitation can potentially reduce performance of maize cultivars in the field, but the extent of this reduction depends on genotype and severity of stress.Key words: chlorophyll content; leaf temperature; maize; photosystem II; drought stress
IZVLEČEK USPEVANJE SORT KORUZE (Zea mays L.) V RAZMERAH SUŠNEGA STRESARaziskava je bila opravljena v sezoni 2014 na Research Farm of the University of Tabriz, Iran. Poskus je bil zasnovan kot poskus z deljenkami na osnovi popolnega naključnega bločnega poskusa s tremi ponovitvami za ovrednotenje učinkov štirih načinov namakanja (namakanje po 60, 80, 100 in 120 mm evaporacije) na osnovi fizioloških in agronomskih lastnosti treh sort koruze (Zea mays L.; 'SC704', 'NS640', 'DC303': zgodnje, srednje in pozno dozorevajoča sorta). Načini namakanja so bili vrednoteni na glavnih ploskvah, sorte koruze na podploskvah. Temperatura lista je pri vseh sortah značilno naraščala z večanjem intervala namakanja, lastnosti kot so indeks vsebnosti klorofila, maksimalna učinkovitost fotosistema II, število zrn na rastlino, masa 1000 zrn, biomasa rastlin, pridelek zrnja in žetveni indeks pa so se z večanjem intervala namakanja značilno zmanjšale. Pozno dozorevajoča sorta ('SC704') je bila v vseh preučevanih lastnostih najboljša, sledili sta ji srednje ('NS640') in zgodaj ('DC303') dozorevajoči sorti. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da pomanjkanje vode lahko potencialno zmanjša uspevanje koruze, a je obseg zmanjšanja odvisen od genotipa in jakosti stresa.