The sample size for this study was small. The authors used 11 maize lines, 8 of which were classified as non-drought tolerant (NDT) and 3 classified as drought tolerant (DT). Using such a small sample size greatly reduces the statistical power of the study, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the broader population of maize lines. Furthermore, with a small sample size, there is a higher risk that the selected lines may not be representative of the larger population of either NDT or DT maize lines. As a result, the identified traits and conclusions may not generalize well to other maize lines.

While the authors imposed different levels of water deficit stress (WDS), they only measured the effects of WDS at two specific time points: flowering and grain-filling. WDS can affect plants differently at different growth stages, and continuous monitoring of plant responses throughout the growth cycle is important for a comprehensive understanding. By only focusing on two stages, the study overlooks the potential impact of WDS during other critical growth periods, such as seedling establishment or early vegetative growth.

The paper relies heavily on correlation analysis to assess the relationship between grain yield and various traits. Correlation does not imply causation, and it's possible that other factors, not measured in the study, are influencing the relationship between these variables.