Antioxidant biomarkers in assessing maize germination and seedling growth following exposure to negative temperature stress

Abstract

In the current climate change environment, many breeding programs in Northern Europe are focused on developing cold-resistant maize genotypes. In this context, it is important to study and understand the morphophysiological and biochemical traits of maize that facilitate adaptation to such conditions, as the resulting information can be used for further improvement of breeding material. Therefore, five hybrids were evaluated for their response to negative temperature stress (NTS) at −4°C for 16 h before germination, followed by growth at 26°C for 7 days. The aim of the study was to determine the role of antioxidant system components in ensuring the defensive potential of maize seedlings with different levels of resistance to a specific dose of negative temperature during the early stages of ontogenesis.