Effects of Deficit Irrigation to Some Bio - Active Compounds, Quality Traits and Grain Yield in Maize

As a result of environmental difficulties and water scarcity, maize production has been challenged in arid and semi - arid regions. A management strategy for stabilizing corn production under water shortage conditions involves the use of drought - tolerant hybrids and suitable irrigation regimes. The study was conducted in the Prof. Dr. Abdulkadir AKCIN trial area of "Selcuk University, Agriculture Faculty, Crop Science Department, Konya, TURKIYE" during 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. The aim of the current work is determining the effects of deficit irrigation and grain colour factors on water shortage tolerance of maize in terms of bio - active compounds, quality traits and grain yield. The factors of the trial were irrigations [50% (I1), 75% (I2) and 100% (I3) of evaporation from Class A evaporation PAN] and genotypes [DKC 5783, red corn and Sakarya]. It was noted that DKC 5783 had the highest values at two (thousand grain weight, grain yield), Sakarya had at two (total phenolic compounds and grain crude oil) and red corn had at four (total anthocyanin content, total antioxidant activity, grain crude protein and starch) properties among eight under I1 during 2019 as well as red corn had at two (total anthocyanin content and total phenolic compounds), Sakarya had at two (grain crude protein and grain crude oil) and DKC 5783 had highest values at four (thousand grain weight, total antioxidant activity, starch and grain yield) features among eight under I1 during 2020. Thousand grain weight values of I3 were 6.71% and 0.57% more than I2 while starch was 9.19% and 3.96% more than I2 during 2019 - 2020. Red corn had better contents of bio - active compounds than other two varieties during both years of the trial. The mean yield of I3 was 6.87% more than I2 in 2019 and 9.05% more than I2 in 2020 which revealed that regulated deficit irrigation might help growers to cope with decline in water availability also 25% water restriction caused tolerable decreases in grain yield and some yield compounds of the current work.