Abstract
The cell membrane stability of three maize cultivars was measured by the polyethylene glycol (PEG) test at different parts of leaf (base, middle and tip parts of the uppermost full open leaf). The % injury in PEG test was compared with other measurements such as stomatal and cuticular resistance and the physiological state of the leaf parts. Leaf water potential, osmotic potential and Mg contents in cell sap and leaf tissues were well correlated with % injury in PEG test. Osmotic potential of leaf tissues seems to influence the desiccation treatment in PEG test. Relative contribution of sugar to osmotic potential was higher than the other solutes but sugar contents in leaf tissues or cell sap did not suggest the existence of any relationship with % injury in PEG test.
