Effect of Water Deficit at Different Growth Stages on Yield and Water Use of Sticky Maize

A pot experiment was carried out to study the effect of four water deficit levels at the seeding-early joining,later joining-booting and booting-flowering stages of maize crop,serious water deficit(35%-45%θf,θf is field capacity),medium water deficit(45%-55%θf),mild water deficit(55%-65%θf) and normal irrigation(CK,65%-80%θf),and combined water deficit levels at later joining-booting and booting-flowering stages on yield,water consumption and water use efficiency(WUE) of stickymaize.The results showed that compared to CK,the water deficit at the seeding-early joining stage,the mild or medium water deficit at later joining-booting or booting-flowering stages reduced water consumption by 10.8%-19.8%,but did not significantly reduce yield and WUE;mild and medium water deficit at later joining-booting stage combined with the mild or medium water deficit at booting-flowering stage reduced water consumption by 15.8%-22.8%,significantly reduce total drymass,but they did not significantly reduce yield and did not significantly improve or reduce WUE,either.