Abstract:

Long-term trend of global climate change indicates that more areas will be involved in arid disaster. This will increase the instability of crop yield with the extending of maize planting area, even endanger the regional and global food safety. Reduction of maize yield resulted in arid is determined by not only severity of arid but also the growth or development stages when arid occurs. This paper reviewed the influences of soil water stress on growth and development of maize in several aspects, including plant configuration, yield and yield elements, physiological indexes, growth and development indexes and restorable ability and so on. The research methods and response and adaptation of maize to water stress were also reviewed. And some stresses on future researches were suggested.