Improved agrotechniques for managing abiotic stresses in maize

Abstract

Worldwide (including India), maize production suffers significant losses due to abiotic stress conditions like drought, high temperature, cold stress, salinity stress, and excess moisture stress, etc. The maize crop faces tremendous challenges as a result of these stresses, which affect their growth, development and final yield. The adoption agrotechniques such as adjusting sowing time, seeding rate, dry sowing, seed hardening, resource conservation technologies, changing land configuration, balanced nutrient management, improved irrigation management, use of plant growth regulators, antitranspirants, selection of appropriate maize varieties, reclamation of saline and sodic soils have the potential to reduce the effects of abiotic stresses on maize. Therefore, location-specific, need-based
appropriate combinations of these agrotechniques can improve maize growth and performance, and eventually yield, bridging the potential and average yield gap under various stress environments.