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Water deficit severely decreases maize (Zea mays L.) kernel growth; the effect is most pronounced in apical regions of ears. The capacity for accumulation of storage material in endosperms is thought to he partially determined by the extent of cell division and endoreduplication (post‐mitotic nuclear DNA synthesis). To gain a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms involved, we have examined the effect of water deficit on cellular development during the post‐fertilization period. Greenhouse‐grown maize was subjected to water‐limited treatments during rapid cell division [from 1 to 10days after pollination (DAP)] or rapid endoreduplication (9 to 15 DAP). The number of nuclei and the nuclear DNA content were determined with flow cytometry. Water deficit from 1 to 10 DAP substantially decreased the rate of endosperm cell division in apical‐region kernels, but had little effect on middle‐region endosperms …