Evaluation of maize varieties under conditions of water shortage in calcareous soil

Water shortage is an escalating global issue that impedes sustainable development and limits the production of adequate foods to satisfy rising dietary demands. This study sought to investigate the effects of maize cultivars under varying irrigation regimes on growth, yield and irrigation water productivity. Consequently, two maize types (single-cross hybrids {Giza 130} and triple hybrids {Giza310}) were evaluated under three irrigation levels (100% of evapotranspiration, ETc; 80% ETc and 60% ETc) utilizing a drip irrigation technique on sandy calcareous soil, organized in a split-plot arrangement with three replications. The findings revealed that variety 2, and irrigated with 100% ETc, achieved the highest plant height (187.39 cm and 199.18 cm in 1st and 2nd summers, respectively), which was not statistically significant from that of 80% ETc. Variety-2 under 60% ETc exhibited a reduction of 24.95% and 24.01% in height compared to 100% ETc in 2024 and 2025, respectively, while conserving 40% of water usage. In the meantime, watered variety-1 plants receiving 100% of ETc had the greatest cob weight and grain yield. The irrigation water productivity was 0.58 kg/m3 in 2024 and 0.62 kg/m3 in 2025, attributed to irrigation variety-1 with 60% Etc, reflecting increases of 13.75% and 16.98% relative to 100% ETc. The results of the present investigation demonstrated that various cultivars may exhibit distinct responses to water scarcity under calcareous soil conditions. The acquired data may facilitate the development of novel maize varieties in the future.