KEYWORDS Deficit irrigation Grain filling stage Starch Oil and protein content NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF MAIZE IN RESPONSE TO DROUGHT STRESS DURING GRAIN-FILLING STAGES IN MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE CONDITION

ABSTRACT Maize is considered one of the most essential dietary components in human food and animal feeding. The objectives of the present study were to quantify the effects of drought stress on qualitative traits of maize at grain-filling stages. Hybrids maize seeds were grown by applying full and water stress conditions during the grain filling stage. Various nutritional properties (crude oil, starch, grain protein content) were determined in 2014 and 2015 at the second crop growing season in Adana, Turkey. Based on the results of this study, genotype and environment were found to influence all quality traits significantly. Further, result of study suggest that water stress caused a significant reduction in major quality traits. Grain weight and grain quality yield as well crude oil, protein and ash yield were significantly decreased due to water deficit condition in the both growing seasons. Significant differences were observed among hybrids in respect of all measurements due to irrigation regimes. The genotypes, Sancia and Calgary were tolerant by producing higher grain weight. Accordingly, grain qualities of 71May69, Aaccel and Calgary maize hybrids were less affected under drought stress