Earlier planting to escape summer drought and high temperature has increased the importance of cold tolerance in corn. The objectives of this study were to assess cold tolerance among the corn hybrids using morpho-physiological traits and to classify hybrids into different groups of tolerance. Corn hybrids were subjected to optimum, low, and very low temperatures during seed emergence and seedling growth and morphological and physiological traits were assessed. Variability existed among the corn hybrids for the measured traits. Total, leaf and root weights and cumulative length and length per unit volume were the most important morphological traits in describing hybrid variability. Principle component analysis and total low temperature response index methods were used to categorize hybrid tolerance to low temperature. Based on relative scores assigned in this study and their yield potential in the niche environment, producer could select hybrids to maximize corn production in an early planting production system.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MSSTATE/oai:scholarsjunction.msstate.edu:td-4863 |
| Date | 09 May 2015 |
| Creators | Wijewardana, Godakande Chathurika |
| Publisher | Scholars Junction |
| Source Sets | Mississippi State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
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