Title of project: Genetic enhancement for drought and water logging stress tolerance in maize (NICRA: Maize)
Funding agency: ICAR
Total approved cost of the project: Rs 27.2 Lakhs

Objective:

• To develop and evaluate maize genotypes for drought and water logging stress tolerance
• To diversify maize germplasm for abiotic stresses tolerance using wild relatives
• Understanding the molecular basis of multiple abiotic stress tolerance

Project team: PI: Dr. Bhupender Kumar; Co-PIs: Dr. S.B. Singh, Dr. Chikkappa G. Karjagi, Dr. B.S. Jat & Dr. S.L. Jat

Major achievements:

• Developed, evaluated & identified two hybrids tolerant to drought (DMRH1417, CMH08-292), and three tolerant to water logging (DMRH1419, IMH1527 and CHM-08-292) and one (CMH-08-292) common to both drought as well as water logging stresses (Plate 2).
• Total 164 new inbred lines have been developed from pedigree crosses by advancing them under managed drought stress at flowering stage during their developmental stage.
• Total 134 known and 75 novel miRNAs in water logging and 49 known and 76 novels in drought stress were identified as differentially expressed (>10.0 fold; P <0.001) in roots and/or in shoot tissues. Along with this, 11 miRNAs were found common playing role for drought as well as water logging stresses tolerance