Improving maize production and irrigation water use efficiency using glycine betaine and hydrogen peroxide under drought conditions

Ibraheem, Hend Khalil; Kotb, Maher Abdallah; Abdrabbo, Mohamed A. A.; Abbas, Mohamed Gamal

doi:10.21608/agro.2025.366990.1647

Improving maize production and irrigation water use efficiency using glycine betaine and hydrogen peroxide under drought conditions

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Researcher, Central Laboratory of Agricultural Climate, ARC, Egypt

² Agron. Dep., Fac. Agric., Suez Canal Univ., Egypt

³ Central Labor. for Agric. Climate, Giza, Egypt

⁴ Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez canal University, Egypt

10.21608/agro.2025.366990.1647

Abstract

Two Field experiments of sprinkler irrigation system were performed during the 2021 and 2022 summer growing seasons in a sandy soil at Ismailia Agricultural Research Station, Egypt. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 5 levels of external application of GB and H2O2 on IWUE and total yield of hybrid maize 368 under three different irrigation water levels (100%, 80% and 60% of ETc). Sprinkler irrigation was used in this study. The experimental design in each season was Split plot in a randomized complete block design. The three irrigation levels were randomly distributed in the main plots, while five levels of (GB) and (H2O2) were randomly distributed in the subplots. Decreasing irrigation water quantity from 3100 to 1860 m3/feddan significantly decreased 100-grain weight and grain yield/feddan, but significantly improved grain protein content and IWUE. Increasing GB or H2O2 levels resulted in a significant increase in all of the above-mentioned traits compared to untreated analogues. The application of 15 mM GB and 80 mM H2O2 preserved approximately 770 and 663 kg grain per feddan of losses under moderate water stress, in order. While under severe drought, the use of these previous levels of GB and H2O2 resulted in gains of approximately 400 and 290 kg of grain yield/feddan. The use of GB and H2O2 saved about 620 m3/fad of water without any loss in grain yield. As a final result, we conclude that the grain yield improved significantly for GB and H2O2 under drought conditions and good irrigation.

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