In regions of South Asia where rainfed maize is grown, effective crop management during drought is essential for maximising yield. A variety of water‐conserving planting practices are used, and more recently, techniques such as foliar supplementation to maintain nutrients during drought have also shown promise. However, specific combinations of these approaches are often untested for optimality. Here, we explore the effects of two maize planting practices (ridge sowing and mulching) to conserve water, in combination with foliar thiourea. Drought stress response of crop was assessed at two experimental sites (L‐I and L‐II), through split‐plot design (main plots: flat sowing + mulch, flat sowing, ridge sowing + mulch [RS + M] and ridge sowing; sub‐plots: unsprayed, water spray, 500 ppm thiourea and 1000 ppm thiourea). Plant performance was assessed via dry matter accumulation, grain growth rate, stomatal parameters, grain yield, stover yield and nitrogen uptake. Rainfall breaks induced three dry spells during the pre‐anthesis and grain‐filling period. RS + M showed maximum drought tolerance by enhancing rainwater and nutrient use (N uptake [88.1 and 115.1 kg ha−1]) and recorded significantly higher periodic dry matter accumulation (149.2 and 156.8 g) along with higher 1000‐grain weight (181.0 and 196.6 g), grain‐filling duration (36.3 and 34.9 days) and leaf health parameters over the flat‐sown treatments. Furthermore, foliar supplementation of thiourea at 1000 ppm caused improved leaf health, likely through activation of a source to sink response (transfer of energy and materials from leaves to other plant organs) that alleviated moisture stress. Ultimately, the combination of RS + M and 1000 ppm thiourea led to the highest grain yields (32.1 and 39.5 qha−1).

中文翻译：

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补充硫脲通过改善叶源到谷库动态来改善垄播和覆盖雨养玉米 (Zea mays L.) 的干旱胁迫响应


在种植雨养玉米的南亚地区，干旱期间有效的作物管理对于最大限度地提高产量至关重要。人们采用了各种节水种植方法，最近，通过叶面补充等技术在干旱期间保持养分也显示出前景。然而，这些方法的特定组合通常未经优化测试。在这里，我们探讨了两种玉米种植方法（垄播和覆盖）与叶面硫脲相结合对节水的影响。通过裂区设计（主要小区：平播+护根、平播、垄播+护根[RS + M]和垄播），在两个试验点（L-I和L-II）评估作物的干旱胁迫响应；子图：未喷洒、喷水、500 ppm 硫脲和 1000 ppm 硫脲）。通过干物质积累、籽粒生长速率、气孔参数、籽粒产量、秸秆产量和氮吸收来评估植物性能。降雨中断在开花前期和灌浆期引发了三次干旱。 RS + M 通过增强雨水和养分利用（氮吸收[88.1 和 115.1 kg ha−1]）表现出最大的耐旱性，并记录了显着更高的周期性干物质积累（149.2 和 156.8 g）以及更高的千粒重（181.0 和 115.1 kg ha−1）。 196.6 克）、灌浆持续时间（36.3 和 34.9 天）以及平播处理的叶片健康参数。此外，叶面补充 1000 ppm 的硫脲可以改善叶子的健康，这可能是通过激活源库反应（能量和物质从叶子转移到其他植物器官）来缓解水分胁迫。最终，RS + M 和 1000 ppm 硫脲的组合导致了最高的谷物产量（32.1 和 39.5 qha−1）。