The Influence of Parental Heat-Stress Priming on Drought-Tolerant Maize Progenies’ Field Performance

Maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) is a staple crop and an industrial crop. Improving its thermotolerance will be a crucial step in ensuring food security. The objective of this research was to assess the influence of the parental growth environment on their progenies in a non-heat stress enviro...

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Main Authors: Uchechukwu Paschal Chukwudi, Funso Raphael Kutu, Sydney Mavengahama
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
Series:Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/12/1229
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author Uchechukwu Paschal Chukwudi
Funso Raphael Kutu
Sydney Mavengahama
author_facet Uchechukwu Paschal Chukwudi
Funso Raphael Kutu
Sydney Mavengahama
author_sort Uchechukwu Paschal Chukwudi
collection DOAJ
description Maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) is a staple crop and an industrial crop. Improving its thermotolerance will be a crucial step in ensuring food security. The objective of this research was to assess the influence of the parental growth environment on their progenies in a non-heat stress environment. The progenies evaluated in this field study were obtained from a 2 × 3 × 3 factorial in a completely randomised greenhouse experiment. Two contrasting growth environments, three maize varieties, and three soil amendments were used in the greenhouse study. A randomised complete block design experiment with three replications was used to grow the progenies. The progenies were examined for nineteen morphological attributes. In this study, 69.51% of the yield variation was explained by the first and second principal component axes. Among the studied attributes, grain weight and cob weight explained more variations in the progenies than the other attributes. The interaction of the parental heat-stress and soil amendment conditions elicited different responses from the drought-tolerant maize progenies. Based on the differences in their yield attributes, the progenies were grouped as poor yielders (Cluster IV), good yielders (Cluster I) and high yielders (Clusters II and III). The parental growth environment influenced the progenies’ field performance in a non-heat-stress environment. Further evaluation of the progenies under a heat-stress environment and molecular analyses are required to establish that a transgenerational effect has occurred.
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spelling doaj.art-4d82640b0e2b4a1a89cf38dcd60f1fe22023-11-23T03:19:19ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722021-12-011112122910.3390/agriculture11121229The Influence of Parental Heat-Stress Priming on Drought-Tolerant Maize Progenies’ Field PerformanceUchechukwu Paschal Chukwudi0Funso Raphael Kutu1Sydney Mavengahama2Food Security and Safety Niche Area, School of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mmabatho 2745, South AfricaSchool of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela 1200, South AfricaFood Security and Safety Niche Area, School of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mmabatho 2745, South AfricaMaize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) is a staple crop and an industrial crop. Improving its thermotolerance will be a crucial step in ensuring food security. The objective of this research was to assess the influence of the parental growth environment on their progenies in a non-heat stress environment. The progenies evaluated in this field study were obtained from a 2 × 3 × 3 factorial in a completely randomised greenhouse experiment. Two contrasting growth environments, three maize varieties, and three soil amendments were used in the greenhouse study. A randomised complete block design experiment with three replications was used to grow the progenies. The progenies were examined for nineteen morphological attributes. In this study, 69.51% of the yield variation was explained by the first and second principal component axes. Among the studied attributes, grain weight and cob weight explained more variations in the progenies than the other attributes. The interaction of the parental heat-stress and soil amendment conditions elicited different responses from the drought-tolerant maize progenies. Based on the differences in their yield attributes, the progenies were grouped as poor yielders (Cluster IV), good yielders (Cluster I) and high yielders (Clusters II and III). The parental growth environment influenced the progenies’ field performance in a non-heat-stress environment. Further evaluation of the progenies under a heat-stress environment and molecular analyses are required to establish that a transgenerational effect has occurred.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/12/1229heat stressmaternal effectstress memorythermotolerancetransgenerational effect<i>Zea mays</i> L.
spellingShingle Uchechukwu Paschal Chukwudi
Funso Raphael Kutu
Sydney Mavengahama
The Influence of Parental Heat-Stress Priming on Drought-Tolerant Maize Progenies’ Field Performance
Agriculture
heat stress
maternal effect
stress memory
thermotolerance
transgenerational effect
<i>Zea mays</i> L.
title The Influence of Parental Heat-Stress Priming on Drought-Tolerant Maize Progenies’ Field Performance
title_full The Influence of Parental Heat-Stress Priming on Drought-Tolerant Maize Progenies’ Field Performance
title_fullStr The Influence of Parental Heat-Stress Priming on Drought-Tolerant Maize Progenies’ Field Performance
title_full_unstemmed The Influence of Parental Heat-Stress Priming on Drought-Tolerant Maize Progenies’ Field Performance
title_short The Influence of Parental Heat-Stress Priming on Drought-Tolerant Maize Progenies’ Field Performance
title_sort influence of parental heat stress priming on drought tolerant maize progenies field performance
topic heat stress
maternal effect
stress memory
thermotolerance
transgenerational effect
<i>Zea mays</i> L.
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/12/1229
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