Abstract
Germination and seedling development are essential stages in a plant’s life cycle, greatly influenced by temperature and moisture conditions. The aim of this study was to determine maize (Zea mays L.) seeds’ germination and seedling development under various abiotic stresses. Eight different temperature levels, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 °C, were used. Drought and waterlogging stresses were tested using 30 water levels based on one-milliliter intervals and as percentages of thousand kernel weight (TKW) at 20 and 25 °C. Seedling density and the use of antifungals were also examined. Temperature significantly affected germination duration and seedling growth, and 20 °C was found to be ideal with an optimal range of less than 30 °C. Germination occurred at 25% of the TKW. The optimal water range for seedling growth was higher and broader than the range for germination. Seed size assisted in defining germination water requirements and providing an accurate basis. The present research established an optimum water supply range of 150–325% of the TKW for maize seedling development. A total of 6 seeds per 9 cm Petri dish may be preferable over greater densities. The technique of priming seeds with an antifungal solution before planting was observed to have a better effect than applying it in the growth media.
Highlights
Maize is one of the most important crops worldwide, and it is a staple cereal crop grown globally under a broad spectrum of soil and climatic conditions in temperate and tropical regions [1,2,3]
Drought and waterlogging stresses were tested using 30 water levels based on one-milliliter intervals and as percentages of thousand kernel weight (TKW) at 20 and 25 ◦C
Temperature significantly affected germination duration and seedling growth, and 20 ◦C was found to be ideal with an optimal range of less than 30 ◦C
Summary
Maize is one of the most important crops worldwide, and it is a staple cereal crop grown globally under a broad spectrum of soil and climatic conditions in temperate and tropical regions [1,2,3]. Maize is a C4 crop species that belongs to the Poaceae family and is moderately sensitive to abiotic stresses, such as drought and temperature [10,11] Since it is used worldwide in different ecosystems, the maize crop confronts a wide range of environmental abiotic stresses, including drought and increased temperatures because of climate change, which results in numerous yield losses [9,12]. Abiotic stress and soil and environmental conditions may reduce seed germination percentage can cause adaptation to induced stress [13,14]
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