Abstract
In this study, we investigated the effects of water stress on the growth and yield of summer maize (Zea mays L.) over four phenological stages: Seedling, jointing, heading, and grain-filling. Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016. We found that severe water stress during the seedling stage had a greater effect on the growth and development of maize than stress applied during the other three stages. Water stress led to lower leaf area index (LAI) and biomass owing to reduced intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) and radiation-use efficiency (RUE). These effects extended to the reproductive stage and eventually reduced the unit kernel weight and yield. In addition, the chlorophyll content in the leaf remained lower, even though irrigation was applied partially or fully after the seedling stage. Severe and prolonged water stress in maize plants during the seedling stage may damage the structure of the photosynthetic membrane, resulting in lower chlorophyll content, and therefore RUE, than those in the plants that did not experience water stress at the seedling stage. Maize plants with such damage did not show a meaningful recovery even when irrigation levels during the rest of the growth period were the same as those applied to the plants not subjected to water stress. The results of our field experiments suggest that an unrecoverable yield loss could occur if summer maize were exposed to severe and extended water stress events during the seedling stage.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Severe water stress during the seedling stage had a greater effect on maize growth and development than stress applied during the other three stages.
- Organ / stage
- seedling stagee1
- Treatment
- severe water stress during the seedling stagee1
- Outcome
- growth and developmente1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Comparator
- stress applied during the other three stagese1
- Setting
- Guanzhong Plain, Chinae0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016”
e1“We found that severe water stress during the seedling stage had a greater effect on the growth and development of maize than stress applied during the other three stages”
Claim · model-written summary
Water stress lowered the leaf area index and biomass of maize.
- Treatment
- Water stresse2
- Outcome
- leaf area index (LAI) and biomasse2
- Direction
- lowere2
- Setting
- Guanzhong Plain, Chinae0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016”
e2“Water stress led to lower leaf area index (LAI) and biomass owing to reduced intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) and radiation-use efficiency (RUE)”
t0“Effects of Severe Water Stress on Maize Growth Processes in the Field”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower leaf area index and biomass of maize under water stress are explained by reduced intercepted PAR and radiation-use efficiency.
- Outcome
- leaf area index (LAI) and biomasse2
- Qualifier
- reduced intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) and radiation-use efficiency (RUE)e2
- Setting
- Guanzhong Plain, Chinae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016”
e2“Water stress led to lower leaf area index (LAI) and biomass owing to reduced intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) and radiation-use efficiency (RUE)”
t0“Effects of Severe Water Stress on Maize Growth Processes in the Field”
Claim · model-written summary
Water stress reduced unit kernel weight and yield of maize.
- Treatment
- Water stresse2
- Outcome
- unit kernel weight and yielde3
- Direction
- reducede3
- Setting
- Guanzhong Plain, Chinae0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016”
e2“Water stress led to lower leaf area index (LAI) and biomass owing to reduced intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) and radiation-use efficiency (RUE)”
e3“These effects extended to the reproductive stage and eventually reduced the unit kernel weight and yield”
t0“Effects of Severe Water Stress on Maize Growth Processes in the Field”
Claim · model-written summary
Chlorophyll content in the leaf remained lower after seedling-stage water stress, even though irrigation was applied partially or fully afterwards.
- Treatment
- irrigation was applied partially or fully after the seedling stagee4
- Outcome
- the chlorophyll content in the leafe4
- Direction
- remained lowere4
- Setting
- Guanzhong Plain, Chinae0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016”
e4“In addition, the chlorophyll content in the leaf remained lower, even though irrigation was applied partially or fully after the seedling stage”
t0“Effects of Severe Water Stress on Maize Growth Processes in the Field”
Claim · model-written summary
Severe and prolonged water stress at the seedling stage may damage the photosynthetic membrane structure, lowering chlorophyll content and RUE.
- Treatment
- Severe and prolonged water stresse5
- Outcome
- lower chlorophyll contente5
- Qualifier
- the structure of the photosynthetic membranee5
- Setting
- Guanzhong Plain, Chinae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016”
e5“Severe and prolonged water stress in maize plants during the seedling stage may damage the structure of the photosynthetic membrane, resulting in lower chlorophyll content, and therefore RUE, than those in the plants that did not experience water stress at the seedling stage”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize plants with seedling-stage damage did not show a meaningful recovery, even when later irrigation matched that of unstressed plants.
- Outcome
- a meaningful recoverye6
- Qualifier
- even when irrigation levels during the rest of the growth period were the same as those applied to the plants not subjected to water stresse6
- Setting
- Guanzhong Plain, Chinae0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016”
e6“Maize plants with such damage did not show a meaningful recovery even when irrigation levels during the rest of the growth period were the same as those applied to the plants not subjected to water stress”
Claim · model-written summary
An unrecoverable yield loss could occur if summer maize were exposed to severe and extended water stress during the seedling stage.
- Treatment
- severe and extended water stress events during the seedling stagee7
- Outcome
- unrecoverable yield losse7
- Setting
- Guanzhong Plain, Chinae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress treatments were applied during each of these four stages in a water-controlled field in the Guanzhong Plain, China between 2013 and 2016”
e7“The results of our field experiments suggest that an unrecoverable yield loss could occur if summer maize were exposed to severe and extended water stress events during the seedling stage”
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