Interspecific Differences in Tolerance to Soil Compaction, Drought and Waterlogging Stresses among Maize and Triticale Genotypes

Abstract

AbstractStress susceptibility indexes (SSI) of eight maize and eight triticale genotypes for their ability to cope with soil compaction (SC) combined with drought (D) or waterlogging (W) were estimated through the determination of changes in dry matter of the shoot (S), root (R) and whole plant (S+R) grown at three levels of soil compaction (1.1, 1.3 and 1.6 g cm−3) and exposed to D or W stress for 7 or 14 days. The SSI values showed variation between and within maize and triticale genotypes, and it was possible to divide genotypes into groups of sensitive and resistant ones. The correlation coefficients (r) between stress susceptibility indexes of soil compaction (SCSI) and drought (DSI) or waterlogging (WSI) and between DSI and WSI were statistically significant. This indicates that genotypes resistant to soil compaction (SC) were resistant to drought (D) or waterlogging (W) stresses and that genotypes resistant to D were also resistant to W. Seedlings grown under the stresses showed changes in S to R ratio (S/R). Sensitive genotypes had higher S/R ratio than resistant ones. Decrease of S/R ratio depends on the duration of stresses, and it may be considered an adaptation mechanism to stress. After 7 days of recovery for D and W treatments, we observed only a partial return of growth traits to the level of control plants.