Abstract
The feasibility of thermography as a technique for plant screening aiming at drought-tolerance has been proven by its relationship with gas exchange, biomass, and yield. In this study, unlike most of the previous, thermography was applied for phenotyping contrasting maize genotypes whose classification for drought tolerance had already been established in the field. Our objective was to determine whether thermography-based classification would discriminate the maize genotypes in a similar way as the field selection in which just grain yield was taken into account as a criterion. We evaluated gas exchange, daily water consumption, leaf relative water content, aboveground biomass, and grain yield. Indeed, the screening of maize genotypes based on canopy temperature showed similar results to traditional methods. Nevertheless, canopy temperature only partially reflected gas exchange rates and daily water consumption in plants under drought. Part of the explanation may lie in the changes that drought had caused in plant leaves and canopy structure, altering absorption and dissipation of energy, photosynthesis, transpiration, and partitioning rates. Accordingly, although there was a negative relationship between grain yield and plant canopy temperature, it does not necessarily mean that plants whose canopies were maintained cooler under drought achieved the highest yield.
Highlights
The advancement and intensification of abiotic stresses over traditional areas of crops has increased interest in studies leading to the understanding of the effects of such stresses on plants
In particular, it has been found that genotypes selected as most drought tolerant in terms of yield showed lower canopy temperature, as well as higher stomatal conductance [16,20]. These results indicate that thermography may be applied to maize genetic breeding in the screening for drought tolerance
Drought Effect on Visual Aspect, Leaf Thermal Pixels and Canopy Temperature of Maize thePolbajnetcstive of this study was to determine whether thermography-based classification for drought tolerancFeigiunrme 1aiszheowwsoRuGldBdainsdcrtihmerinmaatleimthaeggesenofothyepmesainzeapslaimntislaursewdaiyn tahsisthstautdpyr.eSvuiochusimsaegleecstaioren in whcicohmjpuostsegdraoifnpylaienltds wfroams taBkReSn1i0n3t0o, aBcRcSou10n1t0. , 2B 707 and DKB 390 genotypes, which were selected from hundreds of phenotyped materials under field conditions
Summary
The advancement and intensification of abiotic stresses over traditional areas of crops has increased interest in studies leading to the understanding of the effects of such stresses on plants. The foremost goal behind these studies is aimed at exploring traits capable of making genotypes increasingly tolerant with satisfactory productivity under increasing environmental pressures. In line with these new challenges, water deficit stress is one of the most intensely studied for its importance, which arises from the damage caused and its extent [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. In addition to the drought problems already faced by maize in some regions, this new perspective of use for the grain will generate a demand for higher yielding genotypes more tolerant to drought and other stresses in order to meet the new challenges
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