Abstract
Salinity and drought impair maize seedling growth through osmotic and physiological stress. This study evaluated the effects of NaCl and PEG 6000 on early growth of sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’. Two independent completely randomized experiments were conducted using NaCl (0–150 mM) and PEG (0–15%) treatments with five replications. Increasing stress intensity significantly reduced seedling performance. Germination decreased by 44% under salinity and 36% under drought. Plant height declined by up to 30% and 25%, respectively, while chlorophyll content and relative water content also decreased. Root growth traits were reduced by 20–30% under severe stress. However, DPPH scavenging activity increased by 142% under salinity and 121% under drought. Proline accumulation increased by 37.63% and 35.92%, catalase activity by 25.24% and 19.64%, while malondialdehyde increased by 54.67% and 71.05% under salinity and drought stress, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed coordinated reductions in growth and biomass traits alongside enhanced antioxidant responses, suggesting a trade-off between growth maintenance and stress defense. These findings provide physiological insights for early stress screening and support the development of climate-resilient maize management strategies (SDG 2 and 13). Further studies using biostimulants or plant growth regulators are needed to clarify tolerance mechanisms under salinity and drought stress.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity reduced germination by 44%.
- Taxon
- sweet corne1
- Material
- ‘Bonanza’e1
- Treatment
- salinitye0
- Outcome
- Germinatione0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 44%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Germination decreased by 44% under salinity”
e1“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought reduced germination by 36%.
- Taxon
- sweet corne2
- Material
- ‘Bonanza’e2
- Treatment
- droughte0
- Outcome
- Germinatione1
- Direction
- decreasede1
- Value
- 36%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“36% under drought”
e1“Germination decreased by 44% under salinity and 36% under drought”
e2“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity reduced plant height by up to 30%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Plant height declined by up to 30% and 25%, respectively”
e1“under salinity and 36% under drought”
e2“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought reduced plant height by up to 25%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Plant height declined by up to 30% and 25%, respectively”
e1“44% under salinity and 36% under drought”
e2“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Chlorophyll and relative water content decreased under stress.
- Taxon
- sweet corne2
- Treatment
- NaCl and PEG 6000e1
- Outcome
- chlorophyll content and relative water contente0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“chlorophyll content and relative water content also decreased”
e1“NaCl and PEG 6000”
e2“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Severe stress reduced root growth traits by 20–30%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Root growth traits were reduced by 20–30% under severe stress”
e1“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity increased DPPH scavenging activity by 142%.
- Taxon
- sweet corne1
- Treatment
- salinitye0
- Outcome
- DPPH scavenging activitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 142%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“DPPH scavenging activity increased by 142% under salinity and 121% under drought”
e1“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought increased DPPH scavenging activity by 121%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“DPPH scavenging activity increased by 142% under salinity and 121% under drought”
e1“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity increased proline accumulation by 37.63%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Proline accumulation increased by 37.63% and 35.92%”
e1“under salinity and drought stress, respectively”
e2“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought increased proline accumulation by 35.92%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Proline accumulation increased by 37.63% and 35.92%”
e1“under salinity and drought stress, respectively”
e2“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity increased catalase activity by 25.24%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“catalase activity by 25.24% and 19.64%”
e1“Proline accumulation increased”
e2“under salinity and drought stress, respectively”
e3“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought increased catalase activity by 19.64%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“catalase activity by 25.24% and 19.64%”
e1“Proline accumulation increased”
e2“under salinity and drought stress, respectively”
e3“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity increased malondialdehyde by 54.67%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“malondialdehyde increased by 54.67% and 71.05% under salinity and drought stress, respectively”
e1“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought increased malondialdehyde by 71.05%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“malondialdehyde increased by 54.67% and 71.05% under salinity and drought stress, respectively”
e1“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
Claim · model-written summary
Multivariate analysis found coordinated growth and biomass reductions alongside enhanced antioxidant responses.
Verbatim
e0“Multivariate analysis showed coordinated reductions in growth and biomass traits alongside enhanced antioxidant responses”
e1“sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cv. ‘Bonanza’”
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See all 51 papers →8 of 12 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.