Identification of waterlogging tolerance at seedling stage and screening of elite germplasm resources from 1 040 maize landraces

doi:10.14088/j.cnki.issn0439-8114.2026.03.001

Abstract

Abstract: To excavate key germplasm resources for waterlogging tolerance breeding in maize (Zea mays L.), 1 040 maize landraces collected from the third national census of crop germplasm resources were used as materials, and their waterlogging tolerance was systematically evaluated by applying continuous waterlogging stress for four weeks at the five-leaf-and-one-heart seedling stage under field conditions. The results showed that the survival rate of germplasm was 42.8%, with a kurtosis of -1.28 and a skewness of -0.068, indicating an approximately symmetrical and platykurtic distribution of the data. Analysis of geographic origins showed that the survival rate of germplasm from the southwest region was 53.9%, which was significantly higher than that from the Huang-Huai-Hai region (32.4%), and the difference in waterlogging tolerance between the two regions reached an extremely significant level (P=7.87×10^-36<0.01). Based on survival rates, the tested varieties were classified into five waterlogging tolerance grades. 110 accessions (accounting for 10.6%) with a survival rate >80% were defined as grade 1(extremely strong waterlogging tolerance), among which two germplasm accessions (Batangbai and Yangyumi from the Huang-Huai-Hai region) showed a 100% survival rate after four weeks of waterlogging stress, and 25 accessions had a survival rate ≥90%. These materials with extremely strong waterlogging tolerance represented core resources for mining waterlogging tolerance genes and improving cultivar waterlogging tolerance, providing a material foundation for the genetic improvement of waterlogging tolerance in maize, thereby enhancing the climate resilience of production systems and ensuring food security.

Key words: maize (Zea mays L.), landrace, seedling stage, waterlogging tolerance identification, germplasm resource, screening

CLC Number:

S513

TENG Feng, YU Si-jia, ZHANG Shi-long, HE Zheng-hua, SUN Xiao-peng, JIA Hai-tao. Identification of waterlogging tolerance at seedling stage and screening of elite germplasm resources from 1 040 maize landraces[J]. HUBEI AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, 2026, 65(3): 1-5.

References

[1] MANO Y, OMORI F.Flooding tolerance in interspecific introgression lines containing chromosome segments from teosinte (Zea nicaraguensis) in maize (Zea mays subsp. mays)[J]. Annals of botany, 2013, 112(6): 1125-1139.
[2] GONG F P, TAKAHASHI H, OMORI F, et al.QTLs for constitutive aerenchyma from Zea nicaraguensis improve tolerance of maize to root-zone oxygen deficiency[J]. Journal of experimental botany, 2019, 70(21): 6475-6487.
[3] XU Z Y, YE L Z, SHEN Q F, et al.Advances in studies on waterlogging tolerance in plants[J]. Journal of integrative agriculture, 2024, 23: 2877-2897.
[4] HERZOG M, STRIKER G, COLMER T, et al.Mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance in wheat—A review of root and shoot physiology[J]. Plant, cell and environment,2016, 39: 1068-1086.
[5] PEDERSEN O, NAKAYAMA Y, YASUE H, et al.Lateral roots, in addition to adventitious roots, form a barrier to radial oxygen loss in Zea nicaraguensis and a chromosome segment introgression line in maize[J]. The new phytologist, 2021, 229(1): 94-105.
[6] QIU F Z, ZHENG Y L, ZHANG Z L, et al.Mapping of QTL associated with waterlogging tolerance during the seedling stage in maize[J]. Annals of botany, 2007, 99(6): 1067-1081.
[7] YU F, LIANG K, FANG T, et al.A group VII ethylene response factor gene, ZmEREB180, coordinates waterlogging tolerance in maize seedlings[J].Plant biotechnology journal, 2019, 17(12): 2286-2298.
[8] YU F, LIANG K, ZHANG Z X, et al.Dissecting the genetic architecture of waterlogging stress-related traits uncovers a key waterlogging tolerance gene in maize[J]. Theoretical and applied genetics, 2018, 131(11): 2299-2310.
[9] LIANG K, ZHAO C X, WANG J, et al.Genetic variations in ZmEREB179 are associated with waterlogging tolerance in maize[J]. Journal of genetics and genomics, 2025, 52(3): 367-378.
[10] THAPA S, GARG T, RANJAN R, et al.Efficient and rapid identification of tropical maize inbred lines tolerant to waterlogging stress[J]. Scientific reports, 2025, 15: 2600.
[11] KUMAR S, RANJAN R, GARG T, et al.Comparative assessment of screening techniques under pot and field conditions for waterlogging tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.) inbreds[J]. Indian journal of genetics and plant breeding, 2025, 85(3): 437-444.
[12] WANG J,LI H,TANG W,et al.A candidate association study of transcription factors in maize revealed the ZmPLATZ15-ZmEREB200 module as a key regulator of waterlogging tolerance at the seedling stage[J]. Plant physiology and biochemistry, 2025,222:109664.
[13] LI Q, ZHOU S Z, LIU W Y, et al.A chlorophyll a oxygenase 1 gene ZmCAO1 contributes to grain yield and waterlogging tolerance in maize[J]. Journal of experimental botany, 2021, 72(8): 3155-3167.
[14] 贾海涛,顾银山,张士龙,等.玉米地方种质竹山白马牙耐渍性生物学基础分析[J].植物遗传资源学报,2022,23(1):160-168.
[15] NIKOLIC A,BOZIC M,DELIC N,et al.The early growth of maize under waterlogging stress, as measured by growth, biochemical, and molecular characteristics[J]. Biology (Basel),2025,14(2):111.