- Title
- Morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of five Zea mays cultivars to drought stress
- Creator
- Gwexa, Sinazo Yonela
- Description
- Maize (Zea mays) is essential for global food security, providing sustenance to billions, especially in developing countries. With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, maize demand will significantly increase, requiring improved agricultural practices and resilient varieties. However, drought is a major threat to maize production, particularly in semi-arid regions like South Africa, where rainfall is often scarce. This study aims at investigating the morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of five maize cultivars—CY2 DKC72-76BR, CY3 DKC74-26R, CW1 DKC75-65BR, CY1 DKC71-44B, and CW3 DKC78-45BRGEN—with the goal of identifying specific traits indicative of drought tolerance. The plants were subjected to well-watered and water-deprived conditions for 21 days. Key parameters, including shoot and root growth, relative water content (RWC), H2O2, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase), were measured to assess drought tolerance. The results revealed that drought stress significantly reduced shoot and root lengths, weights, and RWC of water-deprived cultivars when compared to the well-watered cultivars. Elevated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lipid peroxidation indicated increased oxidative stress under water deprivation. Drought tolerant varieties exhibited higher antioxidant enzyme activity, suggesting a potential mitigation of oxidative stress…
- Description
- Degree: M.Botany
- Date
- 2024
- Subject
- Antioxidant enzymes
- Subject
- Drought stress
- Subject
- Maize
- Type
- Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/11260/13453
- Identifier
- vital:78933
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Walter Sisulu University
- Hits: 7
- Visitors: 4
- Downloads: 1
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Gwexa, YS. Masters Thesis.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |