Study the responses of some leaf physiologic characteristics to different water and nitrogen levels in maize (Zea mays L.)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• R Ghobadi
• M Ghobadi
• S Jalali Honarmand
• B Farhadi
• F Mondani

Razi University

10.22067/gsc.v16i3.68456

Abstract

Introduction
Changes in water and nitrogen amounts cause different physiological reactions in plant. These changes are created for respond to stress in order to reduce or eliminate the stress effects. Improper management of water and nitrogen are main growth limiting factors of maize. The proper reaction of maize to nitrogen which leads to higher yield, is reason the use excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrogen losses are the results of high nitrogen usage. The new irrigation methods, such as deficit irrigation, play important roles in preventing leaching and nutrients maintenance in root zone. Under water deficit conditions, nutrients absorption decreases, therefore fertilizer recommendation should be done according to existing water conditions. The study of physiological reactions of maize to different amounts of water and nitrogen helps to estimate accurately the crop need for water and nitrogen. Therefore, this research was conducted to evaluate the role of water and nitrogen in causing physiological changes in maize leaves.

Materials and Methods
This experiment was done at Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran, during 2014 and 2015. The experiment was conducted as split plot. Main-factor was four irrigation levels included supplying 60, 80, 100 and 120% water requirement (I60%, I80%, I100% and I120%, respectively), and sub-factor included four nitrogen levels 40, 70, 100 and 140% (N40%, N70%, N100% and N140%, respectively) recommended amount based on the soil test. To calculate water requirement, Penman-Monteith-FAO equation was used. For each treatment the amount of water was measured. Partitioning of nitrogen at times the two-leaf stage, the six-leaf stage and before tassel emergence was equal. Leaf physiologic traits included relative water content, stomatal conductance, temperature, photochemical efficiency of PSІІ, SPAD, photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate and photosynthetic water use efficiency measured. Statistical analysis and mean comparisons were performed using SAS software and LSD method.
Results and Discussion
Air temperature during the crop growth in 2014 was less than 2015. Therefor leaf area index (4.9 and 4.5 in 2014 and 2015, respectively), relative water content (82.5 and 70.4%) and stomatal conductance (47 and 23 mmol.m-².s-1) in 2015 were less than 2014, but leaf temperature was higher (38.6 and 43.1 ºC). In 2014, PS ІІactivity was not affected by irrigation treatment, but negative effect of deficit irrigation on PSІІ activity was observed in 2015. In 2014, there was no significant difference between stomatal conductance in I120% and I100% (60.8 and 57.3 mmol.m-².s, respectively), but mild and severe deficit irrigation caused to significant reductions in stomatal conductance (43.5 and 26.5 mmol.m-².s, respectively). In 2015, stomatal conductance in I100% was 26.3 mmol.m-².s-1 significantly less than from I120% (34.7 mmol.m-².s). The lowest stomatal conductivity was recorded with mild and severe deficit irrigation in 2015 (14.9 and 15.8 mmol.m-².s-1 respectively). In 2014, leaf temperature in I100%, I80% and I60% (0.78, 1.70, and 1.84ºC respectively) was higher than I120%. These values were obtained 2.66, 3.66 and 4.60ºC in 2015 respectively. In I120%, I100%, I80% and I60%, CO2 stabilization rate was 29, 26.1, 17.7 and 14.9 μmol.m-².s-1, respectively. Nitrogen consumption up to crop requirement had a positive effect on photosynthesis rate. The photosynthesis rate in N140%, N100%, N70% and N40% was 25.5, 23, 20.6, and 18.6μmol.s respectively. Mild and severe deficit irrigation reduced transpiration rate. However, in I100%, using 70% nitrogen demand, transpiration rate was significantly higher than other nitrogen levels. By reducing water amount and less nitrogen consumption, photosynthetic water use efficiency was decreased. Nitrogen deficiency in I120% and I100% reduced photosynthetic water use efficiency. In I80%, photosynthetic water use efficiency reaction to different nitrogen levels was varied. In I60%, effect of different nitrogen levels was not significant.

Conclusions
Leaf area, relative water content, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and transpiration rate were reduced with increasing of water deficit. Increasing of nitrogen up to the crop requirement led to increased leaf area and photosynthesis rate. Under adequate water condition, nitrogen consumption up to recommended amount led to increased photosynthesis rate, decreased transpiration rate and finally improved photosynthetic water use efficiency. But under deficit irrigation, there were no significant differences in traits among nitrogen levels.

Keywords

• Photosynthesis
• stomatal conductance
• Transpiration
• Water deficit

20.1001.1.20081472.1397.16.3.5.0

---

References

1. Ahmadi, A., Ehsanzadeh, P., and Jabbari, F. 2008. Introduction to plant physiology Vol. 2. University of Tehran press 3rd ed.

2. Ahmadi, A., Ehsanzadeh, P., and Jabbari, F. 2009. Introduction to plant physiology Vol. 1. University of Tehran press 3rd ed.

3. Alizadeh, A., Vazifeh Doost, M., Kamali, Gh., Bastani, Kh., Mortazavi, A., and Izadi, A. 2002. Software for optimizing pattern of agriculture water use AWAT.

4. Alizadeh Oghyanous, P., Azari, A., and Salimi, M. 2008. Study the reaction og grain yield maize lines and hybrids on moisture stress and nitrogen fertilizer interaction. Proceeding of 1st Environmental Tensions in Agricultural Science Conference. Birjand, Iran. (in Persian with English abstract).

5. Ashraf, M., Nawazish, S., and UR-Rehman Athar, H. 2007. Are chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic capacity potential physiological determinants of drought tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.). Pakistan Journal of Botany 39 (4): 1123-1131.

6. Barrs, H. D. 1968. Determination of water deficits in plant tissue. In: KOZLOWSKI, T.T. (Ed) Water deficits and plant growth. New York, Academic Press 1: 235-368.

7. Ding, L., Wang, K. J., Jang, G. M., Biswas, D. K., XU, H., Li, L. F., and Li, Y. H. 2005. Effect of nitrogen deficiency on photosynthetiv traits of maize hybrids released in different years. Annals of botany 96: 925-930.

8. Dokoohaki, H., Gheysari, M., and Karimi Jafari, M. 2012. Applying the DSSAT model to determine the yield response factor under different growth stage. Proceeding of 3rd Water Resources Integrated Management Conference. September 10-11, Sari, Iran. (in Persian with English abstract).

9. Emam, y., and Zeiaie, A. 2010. Study of relationship between water and nitrogen use efficiency on photosynthesis of two grainy maize hybrids. Iranian journal of Field Crop Science 3: 423-432. (in Persian with English abstract).

10. English, M. J., Musick, J. T., and Murty, V.V. 1990. Deficit irrigation. In: G.J. Hoffman, T.A. Towell & K.H. Solomon, eds. Management of farm irrigation systems , St. Joseph, Michigan, United States of America, ASAE.

11. Fazeli Rostampour, M., Seghatoleslami, M. J., and Mousavi, S. G. 2010. Effect of drought stress and superabsorbent on relative water content and leaf chlorophyll index and its relationship with grain yield in corn. Crop Physiology Journal 2 (1): 19-31. (in Persian with English abstract).

12. Ge, T., Sui, F., Bai, L., Tong, C., and Sun, N. 2012. Effects of water stress on growth, biomass partitioning, and water-use efficiency in summer maize (Zea mays L.) throughout the growth cycle. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 34: 1043-1053.

13. Gheysari, M., Mirlatifi, S. M., Homaee, M., Asadi, M. E., and Hoogenboom, G. 2009. Nitrate Leaching in a Silage Maize Field under Different Irrigation and Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates. Agricultural Water Management 96-6: 946-954.

14. Ghobadi, R. 2017. Interaction of water and nitrogen on ecophysiological characteristics and yield gap of seedy corn. Ph. D. Dissertation, Razi University, Iran.

15. Huseynova, I. M. 2012. Photosynthetic characteristics and enzymatic antioxidant capacity of leaves from wheat cultivars exposed to drought. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1817: 1516-1523.

16. Kafi, M., and Kamkar, B., Mahdavi Damghani, A., Abbasi, F., and Sharifi, H. R. 2012. Plant physiology Vol. 1. Jahade-e- Daneshghahi Mashhad Press. 4th ed.

17. Khaksar, A. M., Naderi, M., Ayeneband, A., and Lack, Sh. 2014. Evaluation effect of simultaneous deficit irrigation and water cut stress on effective physiological traits on grainy maize Sc 704 yield. Journal of Crop Production Research 6 (1): 63-79. (in Persian with English abstract).

18. Malakooti, M. J., and Gheibi, M. N. 2000. Determining critical levels of effective nutrients in soil, Plant and Fruits. Amoozesh-e-Keshavarzi Pub. Pp: 92. (in Persian).

19. Mulvaney, R. L., Khan, S. A., Hoest, R. G., and Brown, A. 2001. A soil organic nitrogen fraction that reduces the need for nitrogen fertilization. Soil Science Society of America Journal 65: 1164-1172.

20. Olaniyan, A. B., Aintoye, H. A., and Balogun, M. A. 2004. Effect of different sources and rates of nitrogen fertilizer on growth and yield of sweet maize. Retrieved June 22, 2015, from http://www. Tropentary. De/2004/ abstracts/ full/146.pdf.

21. Retta, M., Yin, X., Putten, P. E. L., Cantre, D., Berghuijs, H. N. C., Ho, Q. T., and Struik, P.C. 2016. Impact of anatomical traits of maize (Zea mays L.) leaf as affected by nitrogen supply and leaf age on bundle sheath conductance. Plant Science 252: 205-214.

22. Rezaii Rad, H., Hooshmand, A. R., Naseri, A. A., and Siahpoush, M. R. 2016. Effects of drought stress on physiological characteristics and yield of maize in the presence of a shallow water table in Ahvaz climatic conditions. Irrigation Science and Engineering 39 (1): 55-66. (in Persian with English abstract).

23. Sanchez-Rodreguez, E., Rubio-Wilhelmi, M., Cervilla, L. M., Blasco, B., Rios, J. J., Rosales, M. M., Romero, L., and Ruiz, J. M. 2010. Genotypic differences in some physiological parameters symptomatic for oxidative stress under moderate drought in tomato plants. Plant Science 178: 30-40.

24. Seghatoleslami, M. J., Kafi, M., and Majidi, E. 2008. Effect of deficit irrigation on yield, WUE and some morphological and phonological traits of three millet species. Pakistan Journal of Botany 40 (4): 1555-1560.

25. Sepaskhah, A. R., and Ahmadi, S. H. 2010. A review on partial root zone drying irrigation. International Journal pf Plants Production 4 (4): 241-259.

26. Souza, T. C., Castro, E. M., Magalhaes, P. C., Lino, L. D. O., Alves, E. T., and Albuquerque, P. E. P. 2013. Morphophysiology, morphoanatomy, and grain yield under field conditions for two maize hybrids with contrasting response to drought stress. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 35: 3201-3211.

27. Stoyanova, D., Tchakalova, E., and Yordanov, I. 2002. Influence of different soil moisture on anatomy of maize leaves and ultra structure of chloroplasts. Bulgarian Journal of Plant Physiology 28 (1-2): 11-20.

28. Zeiaie, A. 2007. Effect of water stress and deficit nitrogen on two corn hybrids (Zea mays L.) photosynthesis. MSc. University of Shiraz, Iran.