Evaluation of Drought Tolerance in Kosovo Maize (Zea mays L.) Genotypes during Germination Using PEG-Induced Stress

Drought represents one of the most critical abiotic stresses that severely restrict maize (Zea mays L.) productivity, especially during the germination phase and the early development of seedlings. In this study, drought tolerance was assessed in a total of 60 maize genotypes originating from different regions of Kosovo, along with one commercial maize genotype (Kompozit Şeker) from Türkiye, which was included intentionally as a reference genotype to enable a clearer comparison of stress responses. Polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) was applied at concentrations of 10%, 20%, and 30% to simulate osmotic stress conditions and to uniformly induce water-deficit environments under controlled laboratory conditions. The traits evaluated in this experiment included germination percentage (G%), mean germination time (G/day), and several important root and shoot characteristics such as length, fresh weight (FW), and dry weight (DW). As PEG concentration increased, significant reductions in germination and substantial inhibition of seedling growth were observed, with the most pronounced negative effects occurring under the 30% PEG treatment. Principal component analysis (PCA) together with hierarchical clustering clearly distinguished the accessions into separate groups based on their measured stress responses, demonstrating a high degree of genotypic diversity among the evaluated materials. Several genotypes-most notably ACC16, ACC18, and ACC46-exhibited consistently superior performance across all traits and stress intensities, indicating strong drought tolerance at the early growth stage. These findings highlight that the local maize genetic resources of Kosovo represent a valuable genetic reservoir for drought-tolerant alleles and provide important contributions to the development of new maize varieties resilient to climate change. Additionally, the results serve as a guide for sustainable maize production, improving agricultural productivity, and planning future agricultural strategies. According to the available literature, this is one of the first studies evaluating drought tolerance in local maize genotypes from Kosovo under PEG-induced osmotic stress.