Ecophysiological response of maize (Zea mays L.) to water stress: remote sensing and upscaling techniques for a more efficient management of water resources in agriculture

Supervisor: Prof.ssa Petrussa Elisa
Co-supervisor: Enrico Braidot

One of the most relevant effects of global change is the alteration of hydrological events, which affects many human activities, including agricultural ones. Understanding how maize (Zea mays L.) – one of the most important crops worldwide – responds to these modifications is crucial to adapt to climate changes. In this framework, remote sensing could bring an important improvement: satellite- and drone-acquired data can be very informative, and together with physiological markers of plant stress could improve our understanding of the effects of climate change on this key aspect of human lives.
Moreover, maize edibility depends on the quantity of mycotoxins in the grain, which are produced by some fungal pathogens such as Fusarium verticillioides and Aspergillus flavus, whose presence and capacity to produce mycotoxins depend on environmental conditions, mostly on precipitations and temperature.
The aim of this PhD is to better understand how the environment affects the physiology of maize in the field, and eventually how this affects the presence of mycotoxins in the grain.