*3.5. Contents of K, Ca, Mg, N, and P in Di*ff*erent Parts of Maize Plants Foliary-Applied with* α*-Toc When Grown under Di*ff*erent Water Regimes*

Drought stress significantly altered the tissue-specific acquisition patterns of macro-nutrients of both the studied cultivars when grown without α-Toc application (Tables 2 and 5). Potassium contents of leaf, root, and stem were reduced significantly grown under water stress without foliar spray of α-Toc. Foliar application of α-Toc increased the potassium content in specific organs under non-stressed and stressed conditions, and the impact was significant for leaf and root K of cv. Agaiti-2002 under water stress. The leaf, root and stem Ca and Mg uptake was also significantly improved after foliar application of α-Toc in both maize genotypes under non-stressed and stressed conditions, which was impaired due to limited water supply. This prominent difference in the uptake of K+, Ca2+, and Mg2<sup>+</sup> due to α-Toc foliar application was similar in both maize genotypes under non-stressed and stressed conditions.

Like other nutrients, drought stress also negatively affected the P and N uptake in leaf, root, and stem of both the cultivars and this impact was more prominent on leaf and stem N. Exogenous application of α-Toc helped both the cultivars to maintain their N and P nutrition of root, leaf and stem under non-stressed and stressed conditions. Regarding the N contents in studied plant parts, comparatively more improvement in N uptake due to α-Toc foliar spray was found in leaf and root than stem (Tables 2 and 5).




Valuesincolumnwithsamealphabets in superscriptdonotdiffersignificantly.
