Maize (Zea mays) hydraulic responses to water deficit in controlled conditions

Details

Supervisors

Couvreur, Valentin ; Javaux, Mathieu

Faculty

Faculté des bioingénieurs

Degree label

Master [120] : bioingénieur en sciences agronomiques, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays) is a crucial global crop, dependent on water for optimal growth and productivity. With the increasing frequency and severity of droughts due to climate change, understanding maize's hydraulic responses to water deficit is becoming increasingly important. The primary objectives of this study were twofold: first, to evaluate maize's hydraulic traits under controlled water deficit conditions, and second, to develop pipelines for processing and managing the resulting complex datasets. These objectives aimed to enhance the accuracy and reliability of future experiments investigating plant hydraulic responses to water stress. The experimental protocol involved two treatments: well-watered (control) and water deficit, with the study structured into three phases: growing, treatment, and rewatering. Key measurements, including transpiration rate, soil and leaf water potential, root conductance, and root surface area, were recorded. The results revealed significant differences in root hydraulic conductance across different experimental stages and in root conductivity within the stressed group, while no significant differences were observed between treatments in root surface area. Additionally, a significant interaction effect between treatment and stage was found in leaf water potential. Although partial, these findings provide valuable insights into maize’s hydraulic responses under the experimental conditions. The study also highlighted several challenges, such as maintaining consistent soil water potential, ensuring uniform stress across plants, and managing variations in environmental conditions within the controlled environment. These challenges underscored the complexity of studying maize's hydraulic responses under water deficit conditions and highlighted areas for improvement in experimental methodologies. This master thesis provides new pipelines for data management and insights for refining future experimental protocols, ultimately contributing to more reliable and accurate approaches for studying maize hydraulics under water stress.