Water Deficit Effects on Corn. I. Vegetative Components¹

Corn was grown in large buried containers and stressed nonrepetitively by cessation of irrigation at nine different times during the season. Each stress treatment consisted of 4 days on which the uppermost, fully‐expanded leaves were wilted. Water status of the yield plants was estimated in terms of the relative turgidity (RT) of like‐treated plants, soil moisture and other environmental factors. Vegetative component yields were determined in two experiments, the first including the additional factor of limiting soil fertility. Each component was significantly influenced by one or more of the stress periods. Maximum reductions in total vegetative dry matter production of 15 to 17% resulted from water deficits approximately 3 weeks before 75% silking. Significant increases in stalk weight occurred as a result of stress at late silking and very early ear stages.