Improving Capacity of Yellow Corn Tolerance to Water Stress by Foliar Application of Ascorbic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted in a new soil conditions in the extension field in El Qantra- West, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt (300 58/ N, 320 23/ E, and 10m above mean sea level) during 2016 and 2017 summer seasons. The study aimed to find out the effect of five exogenous application levels of AsA and H2O2 on yellow corn hybrid 352 (three way cross) under three amounts of irrigation water (1.00. 0.80 and 0.60 of the estimated crop evapotranspiration) using surface irrigation system. A randomized complete block split-plot design with three replications was used in each season. The irrigation treatments and the levels of AsA and H2O2 were randomly allocated in the main and sub-plots, respectively. The most important findings could be summarized as follows: Irrigation by 2250 m3/fad (severe water stress) instead of 3750 m3/fad (full irrigation) reduced ear leaf blade area, total chlorophyll and relative water content in both seasons. Increasing the level of AsA up to 350ppm/fad increased ear leaf blade area, total chlorophyll and relative water content followed by the highest level of H2O2 (60mM H2O2). Decreasing irrigation water significantly reduced ear length, 100-grain weight and grain yield/fad. Meanwhile, ear length, 100-grain weight and grain yield/fad were significantly obtained from the highest level of AsA followed by the highest levels of H2O2 compared with their untreated analogues. The interaction between the both studied factors showed that application of 350ppm AsA and 60mM H2O2 treatments protected about 920 and 320 kg/fad grains from collapse under moderate water stress (3000 m3/fad). Meanwhile, under severe water stress, treatments by same levels of AsA and 30mM H2O2 protected about 670 and 330kg/fad grains from lose. Application of 350ppm AsA saved approximately 750m3/fad of irrigation water without yield reduction.