Title: SUSTAINABLE MAIZE (Zea mays L.) PRODUCTION UNDER DROUGHT STRESS BY UNDERSTANDING ITS ADVERSE EFFECT, SURVIVAL MECHANISM AND DROUGHT TOLERANCE INDICES
Abstract: Maize is an essential dietary component in human food and in animal feed formulation.With the rising trend of global climate change, grain yield and quality losses of maize are expected to increase, because of various biotic and abiotic stress in all over the world.Among these, drought is most considerable one; it remarkably influences growth and yield traits of maize.Hence, the improvement of drought tolerant maize genotypes has potential to stabilize and even though increases the grain yield of maize.Therefore, developing cultivars tolerant to drought stress is a challenge for breeders.There are two ways to mitigate drought stress in maize production, either by developing and practicing improved drought