Water Use Efficiency of Maize Genotypes of Different Maturity Groups at Seedling and Grain-filling Growth Stages in a Rainforest Location

Aims: The objectives of this study were to evaluate maize genotypes of different maturity groups for seedling and grain filling water use efficiency and determine relationship that exist between the water use efficiency traits and yield of different maize maturity groups.

Study Design: Sixteen maize genotypes were planted in Randomized Complete Block Design in three replicates for emergence, vegetative, water use efficiency traits at the seedling and grain-filling growth stages and yield.

Place and Duration of Study: The sixteen maize genotypes of different maturity groups were evaluated during the early and late cropping seasons of 2016 at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching and Research Farm, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Methodology: Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis among water use efficiency traits and yield for each of the maturity groups.

Results: There was no significant difference among the genotypes within each maturity groups for water use efficiency at seedling and grain filling growth stages.

The late maturity group of maize used more water at the seedling growth stage than the other maturity groups in the early season of this study while in the late season, the early and extra-early maturity groups used more water than the other maturity groups. Increase in emergence percentage, reduction in speed of germination, and minimal days to complete germination increased water use efficiency at the seedling stage only during the early cropping season.

Efficiency of water usage at the seedling growth stage was more among the late and intermediate maturing groups than the extra-early and early maturing groups in the early season while in the late season, the extra-early and early maturing groups used water more efficiently than the late and Intermediate maturing groups

Conclusion: Maturity group played a significant role in the expression and manifestation of water use efficiency traits under different environmental conditions.