Leaf Water Relationships and Canopy Temperature as Criteria to Distinguish Maize Hybrids under Drought Stress

English. This research aimed at studying the physiologic traits of maize different hybrids and considering them as screening criteria to select the drought tolerant hybrids. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications and in a split-plot arrangement. The treatments were as follows: Maize Hybrids (including SC400, ZP434, SC524, ZP599, BC66, SC704) and irrigation regimes (including optimum

100% FC, moderate

75% FC, and severe stress

50% FC). Results showed that drought stress significantly affects most of the studied indices. These indices also had significant differences in the above mentioned hybrids. Indices of leaf relative water content and temperature of the canopy varied significantly under drought stress. So, they could be used as suitable criteria to measure the level of stress effect on the plant and also to lay out the irrigation schedule. Findings of the study suggest that blistering is the best growth stage to screen the hybrids and among the studied indices, the ELWL is the best item for screening.