Waterlogging strongly affects maize (Zea mays L.) growth. It is necessary to find the screening method of waterlogging tolerant maize lines. This study was to investigate the growth characters at V3 stage of maize, when is very sensitive to waterlogging. Six Korean maize inbred lines were subjected to waterlogging at V3 stage for 30 days. The 30 days waterlogging treatment significantly reduced plant height, number of expanded leaves, and SPAD value, compared with the control plants. SPAD values were significantly different among the six inbred lines, KS140 was the highest. The dry matter accumulation of aerial and root part were significantly decreased by 30 days waterlogging. KS140 was the weightiest among inbred lines. The dry matter of adventitious root showed same trend. Waterlogging treatment significantly reduced to ear length and thickness, grains filling length, grain number per ear, and maize grain. Plant height, SPAD value, and number of fully-expanded leave showed high correlation with maize grain yield, but number of senescent leaves, dry matter of adventitious root and TR ratio did not, suggesting that the former three traits may be good indicator for evaluating 30-day waterlogging tolerance of maize inbred lines. KS164 was the highest yield by increasing of grains filling length and grain number per ear of among waterlogging inbred lines. According to the results, evaluation of maize waterlogging should be consider both early growth characteristics and resilience in the later growth stages.

This paper reports a simple rearing system for Cnaphalocrocis medinalis based on com seedlings diet. C. medinalis population under this system has been maintained by four stages (egg, young larva-1st to 3rd instar, old larva-4th to prepupa, and adult) at 25±2℃, 40±10% RH, and 16L:8D photoperiod in a laboratory. We have elaborated a new egg collection method using a polystyrene container (top Ø11.3 × bottom Ø9 × H8㎝) which has made a great contribution in easy collection of eggs and storage of them for long period. Under this system, pupation and adult emergence rate and pupal weight of C. medinalis population were close to the other reports by corn seedling diet and superior to those by artificial diets. Therefore this rearing system would be useful in obtaining C. medinalsis population suitable to each specific needs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the drought tolerance in maize seedling using leaf rolling. Nineteen maize resources, seven Nested Association Mapping parents lines, six Korean commercial cultivars, and six Southeast Asia commercial cultivars, were used to examine drought tolerance. The leaf rolling scores were measured on each leaf in three stress conditions with moderate drought (10%), severe drought (7%), and extreme drought (5%). Generally leaf rolling score of seedlings increased at the lower soil water potentials (5~7%). As a result, drought-tolerant cultivars showed lower leaf rolling score (below 2.5) than the drought sensitive cultivars (above 3.5). Nine varieties, NK4043, CML322, DK9955, NK4300, Ki11, DK8868, CML228, LVN99, and LVN10, have been selected for tolerance to drought stress. These results suggest that the leaf rolling score in maize seedling has been made available to indirect index for drought tolerance.