Enhancing drought resilience in maize hybrid COH (M) 8: Unravelling the role of polyamines in field performance

Polyamines, namely spermidine and spermine, are essential organic compounds that hold significant importance in the growth and development of plants. Their beneficial effects in crops include enhancing stress tolerance, facilitating better nutrient uptake, and regulating various physiological processes. Considering these attributes, a study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of polyamines as seed priming agents and foliar spray treatments on the growth and seed yield of hybrid maize COH(M) 8. The research was conducted in field conditions from 2022 to 2023. Various polyamine seed priming treatments (T0 - control, T1, Hydropriming, T2 – Spermine 50 ppm, T3 – Spermine 75 ppm, T4 – Spermidine 50 ppm, T5 – Spermidine 75 ppm, T6 – spermine 50 ppm + Foliar Spray, T7 – Spermine 75 + Foliar Spray were employed, each lasting for 12 hours. The seed priming solutions were prepared at a 1:1 volume/volume ratio with concentrations of spermine at 50 and 75 ppm, spermidine at 50 and 75 ppm, and a combination of both spermine and spermidine. Hydro priming was included as another treatment, and there was also an untreated control group. Furthermore, all treatments were supplemented with a foliar spray application at a concentration of 10 ppm on the 50th and 65th days after sowing (DAS). The outcome indicated that among the various polyamines tested, the combination of spermine seed priming at 50 ppm (T2) and spermine foliar spray (T6) significantly improved multiple growth parameters and yield under drought stress. Notably, this treatment maximized plant height, leaf area, chlorophyll content, cob length, seed yield per plot, and seed yield per hectare.