Crop breeding programs using conventional and/or molecular breeding approaches rely heavily on high-quality phenotypic data generated by evaluating genotypes in different environmental conditions, such as drought.
In this manual, the traits of interest for phenotyping are those that mitigate yield losses rather than those involved in the survival or escape of plants exposed to drought stress.
This manual is targeted at maize breeders and field technicians in tropical environments who are working on improving maize tolerance to drought stress.
It covers aspects related to:
- Selecting locations/fields suitable for phenotyping for drought stress
- Factors affecting the intensity and severity of drought stress
- Maintaining uniform stress in drought trials
- Precision and accuracy when collecting phenotypic data
Manual
Phenotyping for abiotic stress tolerance in maize: drought stress. A field manual
Describes the development of effective phenotyping systems for various stages of drought stress in maize.