Drought and low fertility, particularly low nitrogen (N), are the major abiotic constraints for maize production in much of the tropics. Most modern high yielding cultivars are developed under optimal environments and often perform poorly in marginal environments. Spillover effect with selection for high yield potential under optimal input conditions is realized only under mild stress (Blum 1996). Yield stability is as important as high yield, particularly under unfavorable/marginal environments. Therefore, for improved stability in such areas it is desirable to select for improved tolerance in maize to a set of abiotic constraints in a target environment. We attempted to assess the constitutive changes and spillover with selection and improvement for mid-season drought tolerance to accomplish our major goal of yield stability under low input and stress conditions, and improved yields under unstressed conditions.

Global Maize Program

English

0311|AGRIS 0301|AL-Maize Program

Juan Carlos Mendieta

INT2823

CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection