Limited‐transpiration rate and plant conductance in a diverse sweet corn population

Abstract

AbstractLimited‐transpiration rate at elevated vapor pressure deficit (VPD) can allow soil water conservation for use during late‐season drought, but it can also result in decreased crop yields under well‐watered conditions because of restricted crop gas exchange. Previous studies with sweet corn (Zea mays L.) have found the limited‐transpiration rate was quite common among commercial cultivars even though sweet corn is commonly grown under well‐watered conditions. This study was undertaken to identify possible genetic sources of sweet corn that were not encumbered by the limited‐transpiration trait. Additionally, data were obtained to compare the plant hydraulic conductance among the lines. Among the 26 sweet corn lines included in this study, only eight did not express the limited‐transpiration trait. Four of the lines not expressing the limited‐transpiration (IL395a, IL543c, P39, and SD245) had stomata vapor conductance values over the range of tested VPD similar to the values expressed by many of the limited‐transpiration lines only at low VPD. The eight lines not expressing the limited‐transpiration trait tended to have low plant hydraulic conductance. For those lines expressing the limited‐transpiration trait, there was a correlation between the VPD at initiation of limited transpiration and plant hydraulic conductance. Expression of the limited‐transpiration traits proved, however, to be temperature sensitive in 7 of 18 tested lines expressing the trait at 32 °C because they failed to express the trait at 38 °C. The genetic variation in expression of the limited‐transpiration trait and plant hydraulic conductance identified in this study offers specific candidate inbred lines that could be used as genetic resources for improving sweet corn growth and yield for well‐watered environments.