Photosynthetic productivity parameters were determined for mayweed chamomile, a troublesome annual weed of the cropping systems in the Pacific Northwest. At a photosynthetic photon flux density of 1800 μE m−2 s–1, maximum net photosynthetic rate of greenhouse-grown plants was 35 mg CO2 dm−2 h–1 and maximum transpiration rate was 6.7 μg H2O cm−2 s–1. Dark respiration rate was 1.4 mg CO2 dm−2 h–1 and the light compensation point was 17.5 μE m−2 s–1. Carbon dioxide compensation point increased from 25 ppm at 15 C to 43 ppm at 30 C. At saturating photosynthetic photon flux densities, optimum leaf temperature for net photosynthesis was about 25 C. Maximum net photosynthesis of leaves of field-grown plants averaged 15.8 mg CO2 dm−2 h–1. After a 24-h exposure to 0.075 kg ha–1 metribuzin, maximum net photosynthesis and transpiration were reduced 85 and 40%, respectively. Soil water deficits reduced maximum net photosynthesis about 50%.

Gas exchange of jointed goatgrass leaves was affected by temperature, irradiance level, and soil matric potential. Net photosynthesis of leaves under saturating irradiance (PPFD3 = 1850 (μE·m–2·s−1) was optimum at about 20 C. At 25 C, net photosynthesis was nearly 90% of maximum at a PPFD of 800 μE·m–2·−1. Transpiration, and presumably water use, increased steadily with temperature from 10 to 40 C. Dark respiration rate and compensation points for light and for CO2 increased exponentially, or nearly so, from 10 to 40 C. Soil moisture deficits of −130 kPa reduced net photosynthesis and transpiration by about 30 and 55%, respectively, compared to well-watered plants.

In drought-affected maize production zones with short growing periods, the development and use of early maturing drought-tolerant cultivars can stabilize maize production. We evaluated 10 improved and 25 farmers' early maturing maize varieties under moisture deficit and well-watered conditions for 2 years to identify suitable genetic materials for breeding drought-tolerant cultivars. The varieties exhibited significant differences in grain yield and other traits under both moisture deficit and well-watered conditions. Changes in the rank order of the varieties for grain yield was not significant across the different levels of moisture supply in this study. Grain yield was significantly correlated with days to anthesis, days to silking, plant height, ear height, ear number and anthesis–silking interval (ASI) under the two irrigation treatments and with leaf death scores under moisture deficit, suggesting that the common traits were beneficial in maximizing grain yield under both sufficient water supply and moisture deficit. Grain yield and the traits significantly correlated with it differentiated the early maturing maize varieties into two distinct groups under well-watered condition and moisture deficit. The improved varieties were superior to the farmers' varieties in grain yield and other traits under moisture deficit, possibly due to selection of their progenitors for improved performance in multiple locations. We found some farmers' and improved varieties with similar yield potential and flowering time under well-watered conditions but with marked differences in grain yield and other traits under moisture deficit. Use of such promising landraces that would also be invaluable sources of desirable farmers-preferred end-use quality traits in combination with promising improved varieties as breeding materials could enhance the genetic grain from selection for drought tolerance in early maize.