Abstract:Growth and physiological responces of hybrid maize “Zhong dan 2” to osmotic stress were studied, by using solution culture supplemented with different concentration of polyethylene-glycol. Experiment showed that leaf elongation rate, leaf water potential and the content of free proline were very sensitive to stress while net photosynthetic rate and relative permeability were less sensitive, After treatment for 1 or 2 days, the physiological injury recovered to a certain degree from stress indicating that maie seedling does have certain capacity of adaptation to osmotic stress.