Evaluation and Screening of Maize Inbred Lines for Drought Tolerance Based on Phenotype and Molecular Markers

Abstract

       Drought is one among the major abiotic stress factors severely limits maize grain yield production. Improving drought tolerance in maize has become one of the top priorities in maize breeding programs. Thirty two maize inbred lines and two check varieties were evaluated under field conditions and screened for drought tolerance under water stress conditions in the greenhouse. For drought evaluation, the first experiment was carried out using plastic pots exposed to drouhgt stress conditions. In the second experimen, thirty two inbred lines were planted at four planting dates startng from 2 March and successive planting after very ten days, in soil bed conditions and drought was imposed when plants of the first planting were at dough stage and the plants of other plantingss were at tassel and silking stage, at 12 collars stage and at 6 collars stage. Eleven and 14 inbred lines were identified as drought tolerant in pots experiment and in greenhouse soil bed, respectively. With the use of molecular marker, 20 inbred lines containing QTL related to drought tolerance were identified. Combining phenotypic evaluation and molecular markers, 11 inbred lines possessed desirable characters and drought tolerance, i.e. H4, H6, H14, H15, H17, H20, H23, H24, H28, H29 and H30. Drought tolerant inbred lines identified in this study can be utilized for future breeding programme.