Maize is an economically important crop and also a major shareholder in the global food bowl. The queen of cereals is widely cultivated across varied topography. Climate change and its related water stress are on the increase, reducing the yield potential of maize. The experiment with PEG-6000 was carried out in a completely randomized block design with two replications for twenty maize hybrids. The concentrations of PEG-6000 taken for study were 0%, 10% and 20%. The osmotic stress inducer had a drastic reducing effect on the six physiological characters and their related indices except for root length which showed an increased per se performance under moderate osmotic stress. Germination percentage was the most affected character under water stress. Association analysis between characters identified three effective parameters for indirect selection under drought viz., germination percentage, root length and promptness index. These characters are utmost suitable for selecting tolerant hybrids at seedling stage. | Effect of Peg-6000 induced drought on physiological indices and correlation of seedling stage traits in Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids
