Yield Performance and Physiological Response of a Maize Early Hybrid Grown in Tunnel and Open Air under Different Water Regimes

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most important and studied phenomena of our age and it can have a deep impact on agriculture. Mediterranean countries are and will continue to be strongly affected by changing environmental factors, including lack of precipitation and prolonged heatwaves. The current study aimed to assess the adaptability of an early maize hybrid grown in two temperature conditions and subjected to different irrigation water regimes. The experimental design was a randomized complete-block design with two different temperature conditions: (i) ordinary temperature in open field (OF) and (ii) high temperature (about 3 °C higher than the current condition) under a poly-ethylene tunnel (PE). In both environments, five irrigation level treatments were applied: 100% (DI100), 75% (DI75), 50% (DI50), 25% (DI25), and 0% restoration of water lost by evapotranspiration (DI0). The responses of maize plants were assessed in terms of yield, nitrogen content determination, nitrogen use efficiency, leaf gas exchanges, and leaf water potential measurements. In both conditions, yield and its components linearly decreased as the irrigation water amount reduced, and even the DI0 plants did not produce. Notably, the PE-DI100 treatment had a significantly higher yield than the corresponding treatment in the open air (9.9 vs. 8.5 t ha−1), due mainly to the increased number of ears per square meter (13 vs. 11 m2, respectively). Though, as far as it concerns physiological parameters, a significant effect of environmental conditions was found, with values significantly lower under the protected environment, compared to the plants in the open field. Considering our results, it can be assumed that correct management of amount and time intervals of irrigation could adapt the maize to future climate change.