The study looked at how different types of maize plants respond to drought stress during the seedling stage. They found that drought-tolerant maize hybrids had stronger root activity and were better at dealing with active oxygen in their roots compared to other varieties. The roots of these drought-tolerant hybrids had higher levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, which helps protect against stress, and lower levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of cell damage. Overall, the research showed that certain maize hybrids are better equipped to handle drought conditions during the early stages of growth.