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Background and Objectives: The deficiency of essential amino acids such as methionine, lysine, and tryptophan in maize protein presents a significant challenge in meeting nutritional demand. Comprehensive evaluation of maize germplasm for variability of essential amino acids, protein content, starch content, and β‐carotene contents in grains, along with their relationships with yield and its associated traits, is a prerequisite for strengthening genetic enhancement for nutritional traits. Thus, the current study presents the profiling of 60 maize inbred lines across 11 nutritional quality and yield, aiming to identify variability in these traits and potential donor candidates for commercial breeding. Findings: The test inbreds exhibited significant variations in the content of grain methionine (0.04%–0.28%), tryptophan (0.019%–0.069%), lysine (0.063%–0.318%), protein (9.31%–11.80%), starch (58.32%–70.88%), and β‐carotene (2.38 ppm–6.79 ppm). Additionally, variations were noted in grain yield (0.87–2.52 t ha−1). Inter‐relationship analyses suggested the feasibility of simultaneous selection of essential amino acids (methionine, tryptophan, lysine) and β‐carotene. The germplasm stock was clustered, and potential diverse donors identified were recommended for utilization in breeding programs. Furthermore, the use of Attenuated Total Reflectance‐Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy for screening high methionine and high lysine lines in large germplasm based on differences in peak intensity at 2922 cm−1 and 1110 cm−1 was reported, respectively. Conclusions: The multilocation experiment revealed genetic diversity in both nutritional quality and yield across the 60 inbreds. The absence of a negative correlation between the amino acids and β‐carotene indicates the possibility of the development of hybrids with elevated essential amino‐acid levels combined with high β‐carotene content. Significance and Novelty: This is the first holistic report on the variability of nutritional quality traits coupled with yield in maize germplasm. Identified nutrient‐rich inbreds will serve as valuable germplasm in maize biofortification programs. AT‐FTIR is proposed as an easy screening technique and the first report, which can be employed for the initial screening of a large set of germplasm for methionine and lysine content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins in maize (Zea mays L.) kernels determine the plant's color and can enhance its resistance. Selenium (Se) significantly impacts plant growth, development, and secondary metabolic regulation. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Se regulates anthocyanin synthesis in waxy corn remain unclear. This study employed integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate the mechanisms through which selenium influences anthocyanin synthesis in yellow and purple waxy corn. The results showed that maize varieties with higher anthocyanin content had higher selenium enrichment capacity in their kernels. Under selenium stress, HN2025 exhibited 1,904 more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 140 more differential metabolites compared to HN5. The expression levels of anthocyanin synthesis-related genes and transcription factors such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, flavonoid 3-hydroxylase (F3H), dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR), chalcone synthase (CHS), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), anthocyanin 5,3-Oglucosyltransferases, and anthocyanidin reductase, MYB, and bHLH were strongly induced in HN2025. Metabolomic analysis revealed significant enrichment in anthocyanin biosynthesis, flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, phenylalanine biosynthesis, and phenylalanine metabolism under selenium treatment. Three up-regulated PAL genes and one C4H gene were significantly enriched with DAMs in phenylalanine metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and anthocyanin biosynthesis, resulting in significant differences between HN5 and HN2025 in selenium-induced anthocyanin metabolism-related pathways. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the effects of selenium on the molecular regulatory mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis in maize kernels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria can solubilize phosphorus (P) through the secretion of low-molecular-weight organic acids and acidification. However, the genes involved in the production of these organic acids are poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to verify the calcium phosphate solubilization and the production of low-molecular-weight organic acids by diverse genera of phosphate solubilizing bacterial strains (PSBS); to identify the genes related to the synthesis of the organic acids in the genomes of these strains and; to evaluate growth and nutrient accumulation of maize plants inoculated with PSBS and fertilized with Bayóvar rock phosphate. Genomic DNA was extracted for strain identification and annotation of genes related to the organic acids production. A greenhouse experiment was performed with five strains plus 150 mg dm− 3 P2O5 as Bayóvar rock phosphate (BRP) to assess phosphate solubilization contribution to maize growth and nutrition. Paraburkholderia fungorum UFLA 04–21 and Pseudomonas anuradhapurensis UFPI B5-8A solubilized over 60% of Ca phosphate and produced high amounts of citric/maleic and gluconic acids in vitro, respectively. Eleven organic acids were identified in total, although not all strains produced all acids. Besides, enzymes related to the organic acids production were found in all bacterial genomes. Plants inoculated with strains UFPI B5-6 (Enterobacter bugandensis), UFPI B5-8A, and UFLA 03–10 (Paenibacillus peoriae) accumulated more biomass than the plants fertilized with BRP only. Strains UFLA 03–10 and UFPI B5-8A increased the accumulation of most macronutrients, including P. Collectively, the results show that PSBS can increase maize growth and nutrient accumulation based on Bayóvar rock phosphate fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize is one of the most important crops cultivated worldwide, whose production can be affected by the presence of several pathogens. Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium graminearum are the most predominant pathogens affecting maize ears. However, few studies have been focused on studying the interaction between both pathogens in field conditions. For this reason, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the interaction between F. graminearum and F. verticillioides in different genotypes of maize under field conditions. Field experiments were carried out during two growing seasons in Azul, Argentina, including 12 commercial hybrids of maize, which were inoculated with F. graminearum , F. verticillioides , and a mixture of both pathogens. Phenotypic traits (plant height, plant diameter, tiller and cob number, and radiation interception), disease evaluation, and mycotoxin contamination were analyzed. The results showed significant differences between genotypes in disease severity (DS) for both years. In general terms, higher values of DS were reported in 2020 (21.70% ± 0.40) than in 2021 (16.50% ± 0.20). Different climatic conditions registered along the assay, especially precipitations and relative humidity, could be responsible for the differences observed over the years. Moreover, no significant correlations were found regarding DS and mycotoxin contamination for each genotype. For these reasons, an automatic correspondence between DS and mycotoxin contamination could lead to wrong agronomic decisions. The present study points out novel information regarding plant–pathogen interaction (maize- F. verticillioides/F. graminearum) under field conditions that could be useful for future maize breeding programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of heavy metals (HMs) contamination poses a significant challenge in the environment, exerting a severe impact on the growth and productivity of crops. Cadmium (Cd) is specifically identified as the seventh heavy metal among the top 20 pollutants, primarily due to its elevated phytotoxicity and its solubility in water. In the current study, foliar application of glycine betaine (GB) (500 µmol) investigated the toxic effects of cadmium in maize plants subjected to two Cd concentrations (50 and 100 µmol) as CdCl2. The maize plants exposed to Cd stress exhibited a massive reduction in growth, biomass, photosynthetic pigments [chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b), carotenoids, and total pigments], gas exchange parameters [transpiration rate (Tr), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), intracellular CO2 concentration (ci), and stomatal conductance (gs)], relative water content (RWC), and organic osmolytes content [total soluble protein (TSS), and total soluble sugar (TSS)]. These impacts were significant with the 100 µmol CdCl2 treatment. Moreover, Cd led to remarked increase in proline, nonenzymatic antioxidants levels [ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH)] as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR). On the other hand, GB application efficiently relieved the Cd toxic impacts on maize and maintained higher growth criteria, gas exchange parameters, photosynthetic pigments, RWC, and organic osmolytes. In addition, the exogenous application of GB added more enhancement to the antioxidative system (enzymatic and nonenzymatic). These results imply that GB could significantly preserve maize growth under Cd toxicity conditions by maintaining photosynthetic characteristics, water status, and antioxidant system. This suggests an enhancement in the plant's resilience to stress induced by heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid deficient in cereals, especially maize. However, maize (Zea mays L.) is the main source of protein in some developing countries in Africa and Latin America. In general, the nutritional profile of cereals is poor, because they are deficient in essential amino acids such as tryptophan and lysine due to a relatively higher proportion of alcohol-soluble proteins. Quality protein maize (QPM) has been developed through genetic manipulation for the nutritional enrichment of maize to address these problems. Nevertheless, methods for protein, lysine and tryptophan are time-consuming and require relatively large amounts of samples. Therefore, we have advanced here a simple, cheap, fast, reliable and robust procedure for the determination of protein and tryptophan in the same biuret supernatant, which can also be used for chemical characterization of other cereals. Samples of 50 mg maize ground to pass through a 0.1 mm screen were sonicated for 5 min. in eppendorf vials with 1.5 mL of a biuret reagent each. After centrifugation and protein determination by biuret, 0.2 mL of supernatant was treated with 0.8 mL of a tryptophan reagent. Both total protein and tryptophan can be determined in microplates at 560 nm to speed up the measurements. The main advantage of the new micro-method is the rapid estimation of the nutrient quality of maize samples by a single weighing of a small amount of valuable plant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of salt stress (150 mM NaCl) on the expression of genes, methylation of their promoters, and enzymatic activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), and the 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG)–dehydrogenase (2-OGDH) complex was studied in maize (Zea mays L.). GDH activity increased continuously under salt stress, being 3-fold higher after 24 h. This was accompanied by the appearance of a second isoform with lower electrophoretic mobility. The expression of the Gdh1 gene strongly increased after 6–12 h of incubation, which corresponded to the demethylation of its promoter, while Gdh2 gene expression slightly increased after 2–6 h and then decreased. GAD activity gradually increased in the first 12 h, and then returned to the control level. This corresponded to the increase of Gad expression and its demethylation. Salt stress led to a 2-fold increase in the activity of 2-OGDH during the first 6 h of NaCl treatment, then the activity returned to the control level. Expression of the genes Ogdh1 and Ogdh3 peaked after 1–2 h of incubation. After 6–8 h with NaCl, the expression of these genes declined below the control levels, which correlated with the higher methylation of their promoters. We conclude that salt stress causes a redirection of the 2-OG flux to the γ-aminobutyric acid shunt via its amination to glutamate, by altering the expression of the Gdh1 and Gdh2 genes, which likely promotes the assembly of the native GDH molecule having a different subunit composition and greater affinity for 2-OG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for maize (Zea mays L.) growth and development. Therefore, generating cultivars with upgraded P use efficiency (PUE) represents one of the main strategies to reduce the global agriculture dependence on phosphate fertilizers. In this work, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed to detect quantitative trait nucleotide (QTN) and potential PUE-related candidate genes and associated traits in greenhouse and field trials under contrasting P conditions. The PUE and other agronomy traits of 132 maize inbred lines were assessed in low and normal P supply through the greenhouse and field experiments and Multi-locus GWAS was used to map the associated QTNs. Wide genetic variability was observed among the maize inbred lines under low and normal P supply. In addition, we confirm the complex and quantitative nature of PUE. A total of 306 QTNs were associated with the 24 traits evaluated using different multi-locus GWAS methods. A total of 186 potential candidate genes were identified, mainly involved with transcription regulator, transporter, and transference activity. Further studies are still needed to elucidate the functions and relevance of these genes regarding PUE. Nevertheless, pyramiding the favorable alleles pinpointed in the present study can be considered an efficient strategy for molecular improvement to increase maize PUE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The yellow and orange color of Zea mays L. grain is determined by the presence of carotenoids; the first enzyme of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway is phytoene synthase PSY. In this study, we analyzed allelic variants of the ZmPSY1 gene in accessions of yellow-grain and white-grain maize domestic inbred lines. In four lines with different grain colors, full-length ZmPSY1 cDNAs were amplified and sequenced, and their variability was characterized. In the ZmPSY1 cDNA sequence from white-grain lines, nonsynonymous SNPs were found that lead to substitutions of four amino acid residues (L47I, W52S, E53D and A54V) in the N-terminal transit peptide responsible for the plastid localization of the enzyme. A primer system has been developed for PCR identification of the ZmPSY1 allele type in maize accessions. Testing of primers on 44 maize lines showed the presence of the wild-type ZmPSY1 allele and the absence of the mutant allele in the genome of all 22 yellow-grain lines analyzed. The mutant ZmPSY1 allele was detected in the genome of 41% of the 22 tested white-grain lines. The use of the developed primer system may be promising in the selection of maize with altered carotenoid content in the grain endosperm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS) have sustainably intensified modern agricultural practices worldwide. This research assessed how production systems and crop types impact the chemical properties of an Oxisol in the Brazilian Cerrado, the grain yield of corn intercropped with palisade grass (Urochloa) in the off-season in an ICLS, and the grain yield (GY) of soybean in succession. Intercropped and monocropped systems were assessed in a three-year field experiment: corn + Urochloa ruziziensis–soybean; corn + U. brizantha cv. Piatã–soybean; corn + U. brizantha cv. Paiaguás–soybean (ICL–Paiaguás); corn–soybean under a no-tillage system (NTS); corn–soybean under a conventional tillage system (CTS); Piatã grass–continuous grazing (Perennial Piatã); and Paiaguás grass–continuous grazing (Perennial Paiaguás). The residual impact of phosphate fertilization was more pronounced in the ICLS treatments. In the soil layer from 0.0 to 0.2 m depth, ICLS–Paiaguás and Perennial Piatã had the most positive effects on soil chemical quality. In the last year, grain yield was highest in corn monoculture under the NTS and soybean in succession under the ICLS. ICL–Paiaguás improved soil chemical properties for soybean in succession. These results confirm that an intermittent pasture system for legume crops in sequence is an alternative that can maintain or improve soil chemical composition, and that CTS should be avoided in tropical sandy soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional evaluation of maize seed vigor is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. By contrast, this study introduces an automated, nondestructive framework for classifying maize seed vigor with different seed DNA repair capabilities using hyperspectral images. The selection of coated maize seeds for our case study also aligned well with practical applications. To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results, rigorous data preprocessing steps were implemented to extract high-quality information from raw spectral data obtained from the hyperspectral images. In particular, commonly used pretreatment methods were explored. Instead of analyzing all the wavelengths of spectral data, a competitive adaptive reweighted sampling method was used to select more informative wavelengths, optimizing analysis efficiency. Furthermore, this study leveraged machine learning models, enriched through oversampling techniques to address data imbalance at the seed level. The results obtained using a support vector machine with enhanced techniques demonstrated promising results with 100% sensitivity, 96.91% specificity, and a 0.9807 Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC). Thus, this study highlighted the effectiveness of hyperspectral imaging and machine learning in modern seed assessment practices. By introducing a seed vigor classification system that can even accommodate coated seeds, this study offers a potential pathway for empowering seed producers in practical, real-world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the economic importance of maize, it is essential to evaluate the performance of genotypes under environmental variations (years, locations, and seasons). Consequently, researchers have scrutinized genotype-environment (G×E) interactions to ensure reliability in genotype recommendations. Furthermore, when a G×E interaction exists, adaptability and stability analysis can be performed. This analysis enables one to identify genotypes with predictable responses and adaptability to environmental variability. Hence, this study sought to determine if there is a G×E interaction and evaluate the response of 16 maize genotypes across seven environments through adaptability and stability analyses. Seven experiments were conducted with 16 maize genotypes using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Tassel length (TL), tassel branch number (TBN), tassel dry matter (TDM), and grain yield (GY) were evaluated. Individual and joint variance analyses were performed, along with the F-test at a 5% significance level. The complex parts of the interaction between genotypes and pairs of environments were estimated, followed by adaptability and stability analyses using the Eberhart and Russell method. A genotype-environment interaction was found for TL, TBN, TDM, and GY, indicating that genotypes respond differently in various environments. However, considering all four traits, there is no indication of the ideal genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), a devastating pest, poses massive threat to maize (Zea mays L.) production worldwide. This study was aimed to evaluate the status of phenolics and defensive enzymes in wild (teosinte), inbred (CML 72, LM 24) and backcross derived maize line, BC (LM 24 × teosinte) exposed to fall armyworm infestation. The activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL), β-1,3 glucanase, chitinase and protease inhibitor were determined. The contents of total phenols, flavonoids, ortho- dihydroxy phenols and lignin were also determined. The high stress tolerance efficiency of teosinte was attributed to the high activities of POD, PAL and TAL in its leaves during infestation that increased the content of total phenols and enhanced lignification. Additionally, it had high β-glucanase activity for the hydrolysis of glucans in the cell wall of pest. BC (LM 24 × teosinte) attained some of the unique features of teosinte as both the genotypes had comparable POD, β-glucanase, chitinase and protease inhibitor activities and equivalent levels of total phenols and lignin in their infested leaves that were relatively higher than those of LM 24. CML 72 differed significantly from LM 24 in its stress tolerance mechanism as it had maximum activities of β-glucanase, chitinase and protease inhibitor in its infested leaves. It may be concluded that teosinte followed by BC (LM 24 × teosinte) showed maximum tolerance to pest infestation. The inbred lines, LM 24 and CML 72 showed moderate tolerance to stress conditions by adopting varied mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequent occurrence of localized and seasonal droughts has caused severe economic losses in maize production in South China. To promote sustainable maize production, selecting and breeding drought-tolerant varieties is vital for addressing water scarcity. Drought stress affects all aspects of crop morphological performance. In this study, the morphological performance of 285 maize inbred lines under drought stress was investigated using D-value analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, cluster analysis and stepwise regression analysis. All indicators were significantly different in the regular treatment compared to the drought treatment. Specifically, survival rate, root fresh weight, root dry weight, plant dry weight, root/crown ratio, and plant fresh weight were used as indicators for drought-tolerance evaluation. Furthermore, the drought-tolerant inbred line CML323 and the drought-sensitive inbred line CB2-49-1 were screened by comprehensively evaluating D values. The drought-tolerant inbred line CML323 exhibits higher leaf relative water content, chlorophyll content, proline content, and ascorbate peroxidase and peroxidase activity while having lower malondialdehyde content, consequently demonstrating excellent drought tolerance. This study provides valuable insights into drought-tolerance indicators and reference materials for breeding maize varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Increasing the production of native and modified starch from maize requires raw materials with high starch content in grain. Materials and methods. An experimental panel of 780 simple high-starch maize hybrids produced with CMS-S and CMS-C lines underwent two-year testing. Starch content in the grain of the lines and their hybrids was assessed with IR spectrometry. Native starch content in the grain of hybrids with highest yields was measured at the All-Russian Research Institute of Starch and Starch-Containing Raw Materials Processing using the method proposed by L. P. Nosovskaya with coauthors. Responses to CMS were scored according to G. S. Galeev’s scale. Results. Grain starch content was found to vary from 58% to 72% DMB throughout the tested panel. IR spectrometry helped to identify 22 hybrids with high (72.03–72.67%) starch content, and 5 hybrids promising for deep grain processing, combining high protein (10.3–13.53%) and oil (3.77–5.03%) levels with high starch content (69.02–70.4%) in their grain. Native starch extraction using L. P. Nosovskaya’s method showed that grain starch content in the best 68 hybrids ranged from 70.03 to 71.95% DMB. The collection was ranked according to the main heterotic groups: 57 lines of Iowa Dent, 26 lines of Stiff Stalk Synthetic, and 28 lines of Lancaster. For CMS-S and CMS-C types, 33 and 6 maintainers, and 9 and 8 restorers were selected, respectively. The hybrids were distributed across the following FAO maturity groups for maize: FAO 200–299 (14 hybrids), FAO 300–399 (7), FAO 400–449 (21), and FAO 450–500 (29). Conclusion. Assessing agronomic and breeding prospects of the best 68 hybrids between high-starch maize lines and sterile testers proved their potential for producing native starch to at least 70–72% DMB. Five hybrids were identified as promising for yielding native starch (69.02–70.4% DMB), as well as protein (10.3–13.5% DMB) and oil (3.77–5.03% DMB) by-products during deep grain processing.

The issue of heavy metals (HMs) contamination poses a significant challenge in the environment, exerting a severe impact on the growth and productivity of crops. Cadmium (Cd) is specifically identified as the seventh heavy metal among the top 20 pollutants, primarily due to its elevated phytotoxicity and its solubility in water. In the current study, foliar application of glycine betaine (GB) (500 µmol) investigated the toxic effects of cadmium in maize plants subjected to two Cd concentrations (50 and 100 µmol) as CdCl2. The maize plants exposed to Cd stress exhibited a massive reduction in growth, biomass, photosynthetic pigments [chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b), carotenoids, and total pigments], gas exchange parameters [transpiration rate (Tr), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), intracellular CO2 concentration (ci), and stomatal conductance (gs)], relative water content (RWC), and organic osmolytes content [total soluble protein (TSS), and total soluble sugar (TSS)]. These impacts were significant with the 100 µmol CdCl2 treatment. Moreover, Cd led to remarked increase in proline, nonenzymatic antioxidants levels [ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH)] as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR). On the other hand, GB application efficiently relieved the Cd toxic impacts on maize and maintained higher growth criteria, gas exchange parameters, photosynthetic pigments, RWC, and organic osmolytes. In addition, the exogenous application of GB added more enhancement to the antioxidative system (enzymatic and nonenzymatic). These results imply that GB could significantly preserve maize growth under Cd toxicity conditions by maintaining photosynthetic characteristics, water status, and antioxidant system. This suggests an enhancement in the plant's resilience to stress induced by heavy metals.

The benefits of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for the nutritional quality, yield and nutrient uptake by plant have been investigated in maize. However, the variability in mycorrhizal dependency (MD) and root colonization by AMF among maize variety groups is still poorly documented in the Kivu region. This study aimed to investigate the variation in mycorrhizal dependency to Rhizophagus irregularis among five maize varieties from South-Kivu and one from Senegal using a greenhouse experiment. AMF inoculation significantly influenced the intensity of root colonization, growth and physiology of maize varieties, while no change in root colonization frequency was observed. Three of six varieties used responded positively to AMF inoculation. For these varieties, inoculation with R. irregularis significantly improved plant height, stem diameter and SPAD values. The same significant positive trend was observed for maize total shoot and root biomasses (p < 0.05). Significant variation in MD was observed among maize varieties (p = 0.00012) and could be attributed in part to genetic and physiological factors controlling host/fungus compatibility. The non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis discriminated varieties into two main groups, including those with high MD (MD˃5%) and those with low MD (MD < 5%). The analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) for the mycorrhizal inoculation effect index (R = 0.15 and p = 0.0013), suggested high variability for symbiotic traits. Three varieties showed strong MD and can be used in the field to optimize beneficial effects of AMF on maize productivity or to be used as parents in maize breeding program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen is one of the macro elements that maize needs. Nitrogen deficiency will affect maize's growth and grain yield. This study aimed to determine hybrid maize's growth, grain yield, and tolerance to low N conditions. This research was conducted at the Indonesian Cereal Testing Instrument Standard Institute in Maros, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, from July to November 2022. A nested design was applied with eleven hybrid maize genotypes and three N fertilization levels (N0 = 0 kg N ha-1, N1 = 100 kg N ha-1, and N2 = 200 kg N ha-1) as treatments, replicated three times. Growth and grain yield traits were measured. An analysis of variance was used to determine the effect of fertilization level on growth. Eberhart and Russell stability analysis and the Stress Tolerance Index (STI) were used to determine hybrid maize tolerance and yield stability across the three fertilization levels. The findings indicated that the reduction in nitrogen fertilizer level affected maize agronomic performance and yield reduction. HLN 09 exhibited a mean yield of 7.68 t ha-1, surpassing the overall hybrid mean of 7.21 t ha-1. HLN 09 also demonstrated moderate stress tolerance at N2-N1, N2-N0, and N1-N0 and was characterized as a stable hybrid with regression coefficient (bi) = 0.99 and deviation from regression (s2di) = -0.22. The HLN 09 maize hybrid was a hybrid maize with good tolerance to low N conditions and high stability and yield.

Clarifying the effects of meteorological factors on the growth and development of fresh maize after delayed sowing is important for selecting appropriate sowing dates and improving yield. Six sowing dates (B1 (March 10); B2 (March 20); B3 (March 30); B4 (April 9); B5 (April 19), and B6 (April 29)) and three fresh maize cultivars (A1 (Wan Nuo 2000); A2 (Nongke Nuo 336), and A3 (Caitian Nuo 6)) were chosen for experiments conducted between 2021 and 2022 in Guiyang, Qingzhen City, China. The results showed that the whole growth period and sowing-silking period were significantly reduced with delayed sowing, while the grain-filling period was relatively stable. Delayed sowing was beneficial in increasing the number of endosperm cells and the weight of the hundred kernels. The graining filling rate and the activities of four key starch synthesis enzymes (sucrose synthase, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch branching enzyme, and starch debranching enzyme) were significantly influenced by light, temperature, and precipitation, and they mainly affected the hundred kernel weight. The yield tended to increase with delayed sowing, and the correlation analysis between precipitation and yield at different sowing periods showed a significant effect of precipitation on yield. Delaying the sowing to mid-early April was more favourable for grain filling, enhanced key enzyme activity, and increased the kernel weight and yield. These results highlight the importance of choosing excellent cultivars and matching them with the most suitable sowing date to fully exploit climatic resources and achieve high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation of fresh maize.

This study assesses the impact of defoliation applied to three developmental stages across three cropping seasons from 2021 to 2023 on growth, yield and forage quality in maize. The experimental design included three treatments: defoliation of three expanded leaves at the 3rd–4th leaf stage (DF1), the 5th–6th expanded leaves by leaf punch (DF2) and expanding leaves with the DF2 treatment (DF3) at the 6th–7th leaf stages, compared with no defoliation (control). Over three years, the most significant decrease in dry matter (DM) yield occurred in DF1 during spring sowing, while in summer sowing, the largest reduction was in DF3, both of which were correlated with changes in the number of grains per ear. The DM yields at harvest were positively correlated with plant leaf areas at the silking stage. The digestibility of forage in in vitro DM decreased concomitantly with an increase in acid detergent fiber content, indicating a decrease in forage quality. Given the frequent severe damage observed in summer sown maize and the detrimental effects of early growth stage leaf feeding on quality and quantity of spring sown maize, the application of registered insecticides is advised to reduce pest damage to maize crops.

Abstract Background Monosaccharide transporter (MST) family, as a carrier for monosaccharide transport, plays an important role in carbon partitioning and widely involves in plant growth and development, stress response, and signaling transduction. However, little information on the MST family genes is reported in maize (Zea mays), especially in response to abiotic stresses. In this study, the genome-wide identification of MST family genes was performed in maize. Result A total of sixty-six putative members of MST gene family were identified and divided into seven subfamilies (including SPT, PMT, VGT, INT, pGlcT, TMT, and ERD) using bioinformatics approaches, and gene information, phylogenetic tree, chromosomal location, gene structure, motif composition, and cis-acting elements were investigated. Eight tandem and twelve segmental duplication events were identified, which played an important role in the expansion of the ZmMST family. Synteny analysis revealed the evolutionary features of MST genes in three gramineous crop species. The expression analysis indicated that most of the PMT, VGT, and ERD subfamilies members responded to osmotic and cadmium stresses, and some of them were regulated by ABA signaling, while only a few members of other subfamilies responded to stresses. In addition, only five genes were induced by NaCl stress in MST family. Conclusion These results serve to understand the evolutionary relationships of the ZmMST family genes and supply some insight into the processes of monosaccharide transport and carbon partitioning on the balance between plant growth and development and stress response in maize.

In the High Valleys of Central Mexico, improved white-grained and free-pollinated corn varieties are needed for medium-productivity conditions. This research aimed to determine the productive capacity and the stability of grain yield of a group of free-pollinated corn varieties using the AMMI procedure. Nine varieties of conical race of intermediate cycle corn were evaluated, four experimental from the Cuautitlán Faculty of Higher Studies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, two experimental from the National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research-Valle de México Experimental Field and three commercial control varieties from the National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research- Valle de México Experimental Field, in the spring-summer cycle of 2016 to 2019, in two locations, the Cuautitlán Faculty of Higher Studies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research-Valle de México Experimental Field. A randomized complete block experimental design with four replications was used. Yield data and other variables were analyzed in a factorial arrangement, considering environments, genotypes, and their interactions as sources of variation. The AMMI procedure was used to evaluate the varieties for their stability in grain yield. The combined analysis of variance detected highly significant differences for all variables between environments, genotypes, and the genotype-by-environment interaction. The overall mean yield was 5 090 kg ha-1. In the comparison of means between environments, in 2017, the Cuautitlán Faculty of Higher Studies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico had the best yield, with 9 163 kg ha-1. The Maíz Texotli Puma variety expressed the best yield with 6 491 kg ha-1. The free-pollinated corn varieties with the best stability in grain yield were V 80 Turrent and V 23 Huamantla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize, a vital cereal in global agriculture, faces significant yield challenges due to drought exacerbated by climate change. This study explores the genetic and molecular bases of drought resilience in maize, focusing on the EPF/EPFL gene family known for its role in stomatal regulation. Through a genome-wide analysis across seven grass species, we identified and characterized 16 ZmEPF/EPFL genes in maize. Focusing on their gene structure, expression patterns, and evolutionary relationships. The study integrated genome-wide searches, phylogenetic analysis, gene expression profiling under drought and other abiotic stresses, and qRT-PCR validation to elucidate the functional roles of these genes in drought response. Our results demonstrate that specific ZmEPF/EPFL genes are differentially expressed under varying drought conditions, suggesting their involvement in the plant's adaptive response to water scarcity. Furthermore, interaction analyses reveal that these genes are linked to key processes such as stomatal development and oxidative stress management. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the ZmEPF/EPFL gene family's contribution to stomatal development and drought tolerance, offering insights that could guide future breeding strategies for drought-resistant maize varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal diseases in Brazilian regions with tropical and subtropical climates reduce the production potential of corn crops. The use of fungicides is one of the strategies to maintain productivity. This study evaluated the agronomic performance and grain quality of corn hybrids associated with the preventive use of fungicides in subtropical environments. Six experiments were conducted in Santa Maria-RS, São Vicente do Sul-RS, and Frederico Westphalen-RS during two sowing seasons. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement, in which the main plot consisted of two levels of the fungicide factor (with and without) and the sub-plot consisted of six levels of corn hybrids (AG9025, AS1730, P3016, MG300, DKB230, and FEROZ). A total of 216 experimental plots were evaluated for grain productivity, and eight plants per plot were evaluated for other traits, totaling 1,728 evaluated plants. Therefore, environmental conditions influence the interaction between the factors of fungicide use and hybrid cultivar positioning, with no significant interaction in years with a water deficit. Early sowings in subtropical environments indicate better agronomic performance and a lower percentage of moldy grains regardless of the cultivation location, contributing to grain quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicropping can solve energy use and GHG balance problems, but the emergence, development, and productivity of such mixed crops are at risk due to the uneven distribution of precipitation. For this reason, investigations were performed at the Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. Single maize crops were compared with Crimson/red clover, Persian clover, and alfalfa intercropped maize. The objective of this study was to evaluate the main energy indices and GHG balance of legume intercropped maize cultivated in humid and arid vegetative conditions. The results showed that, under arid conditions, the quantity of intercrop biomass was about four times lower than that under humid conditions. Humid conditions were less suitable for maize and resulted in about 3–5 t ha−1 less dried biomass from intercrops and about 6 t ha−1 less biomass in single crops than in arid conditions. Due to the higher yield of maize biomass in the arid season, better energy indicators of crops were obtained in arid than humid conditions. The difference between net energy was about 122–123 MJ ha−1 in all treatments, except for the maize crop with intercropped alfalfa, where the difference was 62 MJ ha−1. All tested technologies were environmentally friendly; the CO2 equivalent varied between treatments from 804 to 884 kg ha−1. The uneven distribution of precipitation during the vegetative season provides insight into the improvement of intercropping technologies. Sowing intercrops at the same time as maize could improve their germination but increase the problem of weed spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology (1008-0864) is the property of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Corn (Zea mays L.) is an essential gramineous food crop. Traditionally, corn wastes have primarily been used in feed, harmless processing, and industrial applications. Except for corn silk, these wastes have had limited medicinal uses. However, in recent years, scholars have increasingly studied the medicinal value of corn wastes, including corn silk, bracts, husks, stalks, leaves, and cobs. Hyperlipidemia, characterized by abnormal lipid and/or lipoprotein levels in the blood, is the most common form of dyslipidemia today. It is a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis and can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases if severe. According to the authors' literature survey, corn wastes play a promising role in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. This article reviews the mechanisms and material basis of six different corn wastes in regulating dyslipidemia, aiming to provide a foundation for the research and development of these substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen is one of the macro elements that maize needs. Nitrogen deficiency will affect maize's growth and grain yield. This study aimed to determine hybrid maize's growth, grain yield, and tolerance to low N conditions. This research was conducted at the Indonesian Cereal Testing Instrument Standard Institute in Maros, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, from July to November 2022. A nested design was applied with eleven hybrid maize genotypes and three N fertilization levels (N0 = 0 kg N ha-1, N1 = 100 kg N ha-1, and N2 = 200 kg N ha-1) as treatments, replicated three times. Growth and grain yield traits were measured. An analysis of variance was used to determine the effect of fertilization level on growth. Eberhart and Russell stability analysis and the Stress Tolerance Index (STI) were used to determine hybrid maize tolerance and yield stability across the three fertilization levels. The findings indicated that the reduction in nitrogen fertilizer level affected maize agronomic performance and yield reduction. HLN 09 exhibited a mean yield of 7.68 t ha-1, surpassing the overall hybrid mean of 7.21 t ha-1. HLN 09 also demonstrated moderate stress tolerance at N2-N1, N2-N0, and N1-N0 and was characterized as a stable hybrid with regression coefficient (bi) = 0.99 and deviation from regression (s2di) = -0.22. The HLN 09 maize hybrid was a hybrid maize with good tolerance to low N conditions and high stability and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: MicroRNAs are known to play a crucial role in plant development and physiology and become a target for investigating the regulatory mechanism underlying plant low phosphate tolerance. ZmmiR528 has been shown to display significantly different expression levels between wild‐type and low Pi‐tolerant maize mutants. However, its functional role in maize low Pi tolerance remains unknown. In the present study, we studied the role and underlying molecular mechanism of miR528 in maize with low Pi tolerance. Overexpression of ZmmiR528 in maize resulted in impaired root growth, reduced Pi uptake capacity and compromised resistance to Pi deficiency. By contrast, transgenic maize plants suppressing ZmmiR528 expression showed enhanced low Pi tolerance. Furthermore, ZmLac3 and ZmLac5 which encode laccase were identified and verified as targets of ZmmiR528. ZmLac3 transgenic plants were subsequently generated and were also found to play key roles in regulating maize root growth, Pi uptake and low Pi tolerance. Furthermore, auxin transport was found to be potentially involved in ZmLac3‐mediated root growth. Moreover, we conducted genetic complementary analysis through the hybridization of ZmmiR528 and ZmLac3 transgenic plants and found a favorable combination with breeding potential, namely anti‐miR528:ZmLac3OE hybrid maize, which exhibited significantly increased low Pi tolerance and markedly alleviated yield loss caused by low Pi stress. Our study has thus identified a ZmmiR528‐ZmLac3 module regulating auxin transport and hence root growth, thereby determining Pi uptake and ultimately low Pi tolerance, providing an effective approach for low Pi tolerance improvement through manipulating the expression of miRNA and its target in maize. Significance Statement: MicroRNAs are known to play crucial roles in plant development and stress adaptation. Here, the function of ZmmiR528 in maize low Pi tolerance was analyzed. Our study has identified a ZmmiR528‐ZmLac3 module regulating auxin transport and hence root growth, thereby determining Pi uptake and ultimately low Pi tolerance, providing an effective approach for low Pi tolerance improvement through manipulating the expression of miRNA and its target in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Monosaccharide transporter (MST) family, as a carrier for monosaccharide transport, plays an important role in carbon partitioning and widely involves in plant growth and development, stress response, and signaling transduction. However, little information on the MST family genes is reported in maize (Zea mays), especially in response to abiotic stresses. In this study, the genome-wide identification of MST family genes was performed in maize. Result: A total of sixty-six putative members of MST gene family were identified and divided into seven subfamilies (including SPT, PMT, VGT, INT, pGlcT, TMT, and ERD) using bioinformatics approaches, and gene information, phylogenetic tree, chromosomal location, gene structure, motif composition, and cis-acting elements were investigated. Eight tandem and twelve segmental duplication events were identified, which played an important role in the expansion of the ZmMST family. Synteny analysis revealed the evolutionary features of MST genes in three gramineous crop species. The expression analysis indicated that most of the PMT, VGT, and ERD subfamilies members responded to osmotic and cadmium stresses, and some of them were regulated by ABA signaling, while only a few members of other subfamilies responded to stresses. In addition, only five genes were induced by NaCl stress in MST family. Conclusion: These results serve to understand the evolutionary relationships of the ZmMST family genes and supply some insight into the processes of monosaccharide transport and carbon partitioning on the balance between plant growth and development and stress response in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the impact of defoliation applied to three developmental stages across three cropping seasons from 2021 to 2023 on growth, yield and forage quality in maize. The experimental design included three treatments: defoliation of three expanded leaves at the 3rd–4th leaf stage (DF1), the 5th–6th expanded leaves by leaf punch (DF2) and expanding leaves with the DF2 treatment (DF3) at the 6th–7th leaf stages, compared with no defoliation (control). Over three years, the most significant decrease in dry matter (DM) yield occurred in DF1 during spring sowing, while in summer sowing, the largest reduction was in DF3, both of which were correlated with changes in the number of grains per ear. The DM yields at harvest were positively correlated with plant leaf areas at the silking stage. The digestibility of forage in in vitro DM decreased concomitantly with an increase in acid detergent fiber content, indicating a decrease in forage quality. Given the frequent severe damage observed in summer sown maize and the detrimental effects of early growth stage leaf feeding on quality and quantity of spring sown maize, the application of registered insecticides is advised to reduce pest damage to maize crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea mays L.) stands as a vital staple food globally, holding significant nutritional and economic value. However, its susceptibility to mycotoxin contamination under stressful environmental conditions poses a considerable concern. This study aimed to assess the quality and pasting characteristics of maize varieties across two distinct regions and examine the occurrence of mycotoxins influenced by climatic factors. Five maize varieties were cultivated in triplicate in the Golegã and Coruche regions. The nutritional composition (protein, fat, fiber, ash, starch, and lutein), pasting properties, and mycotoxin levels were evaluated. A statistical analysis revealed notable differences in the nutritional profiles of the maize varieties between the two regions, particularly in the protein and lutein content. The peak viscosity ranged from 6430 to 8599 cP and from 4548 to 8178 cP in the maize varieties from the Coruche and Golegã regions, respectively. Additionally, a significant correlation was observed between the climatic conditions and the grain nutritional quality components (p < 0.05). The M variety showed the highest ash content, protein content, final viscosity, and setback viscosity and the lowest peak viscosity. The Y variety revealed the lowest fat, fiber, and lutein content and the maximum peak viscosity. The incidence of mycotoxins was notably higher in the varieties from Coruche, which was potentially attributable to higher temperatures and lower precipitation levels leading to more frequent drought conditions. Fumonisin B1 was detected in 58% of the varieties from Coruche and 33% of the samples from Golegã, while deoxynivalenol was found in 87% and 80% of the varieties from Coruche and Golegã, respectively. The H variety, which was harvested in Coruche, exhibited the highest number of fumonisins and higher amounts of protein, lutein, and fat, while fumonisins were not detected in the Golegã region, which was potentially influenced by the precipitation levels. The K variety revealed higher protein and lutein contents, a lower amount of fat, excellent pasting properties (a higher peak viscosity and holding strength and a lower peak time), and no fumonisins B1 or B2. This variety may be considered well adapted to higher temperatures and drier conditions, as verified in the Coruche region. In conclusion, our study underscored the profound impact of environmental factors on the quality and occurrence of mycotoxins in maize varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Manipulated Genic Male Sterile Maintainer (MGM) system, a next-generation hybrid seed technology, enables efficient production of sortable seeds from genic male sterile (GMS) lines. However, implementing robust MGM systems in commercial maize inbred lines requires stable transformation, a genotype-specific and laborious process. This study aimed to integrate MGM technology into the commercial maize inbred line Z372, developing both GMS and MGM lines. We utilized the MGM line ZC01-3A-7, which contains the MS26ΔE5 editor T-DNA and MGM T-DNA, previously established in the highly transformable ZC01 recipient plants. Through a combination of crossing and backcrossing with Z372, we targeted the fertility gene Ms26 within the Z372 genome for mutation using the in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 activity within the MS26ΔE5 editor T-DNA construct. This approach facilitated precise editing of the Ms26 locus, minimizing linkage drag associated with the Ms26 mutation. Whole-genome SNP analysis achieved a 98.74% recovery rate for GMS and 96.32% for MGM in the BC2F2 generation. Importantly, the Z372-GMS line with the ms26ΔE5 mutation is non-transgenic, avoiding linkage drag and demonstrating production readiness. This study represents a significant advancement in maize breeding, enabling the rapid generation of GMS and MGM lines for efficient hybrid seed production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement of the microRNA miR165a in the light-dependent mechanisms of regulation of target genes in maize (Zea mays) has been studied. The light-induced change in the content of free miR165a was associated with its binding by the AGO10 protein and not with a change in the rate of its synthesis from the precursor. The use of knockout Arabidopsis plants for the phytochrome A and B genes demonstrated that the presence of an active form of phytochrome B causes an increase in the level of the RNA-induced silencing miR165a complex, which triggers the degradation of target mRNAs. The two fractions of vesicles from maize leaves, P40 and P100 that bind miR165a, were isolated by ultracentrifugation. The P40 fraction consisted of larger vesicles of the size >0.170 µm, while the P100 fraction vesicles were <0.147 µm. Based on the quantitative PCR data, the predominant location of miR165a on the surface of extracellular vesicles of both fractions was established. The formation of the active form of phytochrome upon the irradiation of maize plants with red light led to a redistribution of miR165a, resulting in an increase in its proportion inside P40 vesicles and a decrease in P100 vesicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forage maize is one of the most important feed crops for livestock production, and is mainly grown in northwest China. However, their growth is often stressed by limited soil water availability due to the arid climate. To provide more soil moisture, a high-efficiency tillage technique was required to make crops effectively use soil moisture in deep soil layers. Deep vertical rotary tillage is a promising choice for this purpose. In this study, a long-term (2020–2022) field experiment consisting of three treatments, i.e., traditional tillage (TT), deep rotary tillage (DT), and deep vertical rotary tillage (VRT), was carried out in semiarid areas of Loess Plateau, northwest China, to investigate the effects of VRT on soil water storage (SWS), phase crop evapotranspiration (ETc) during the pre- and post-flowering periods, dry matter accumulation, grain yields and the water use efficiency (WUE) of forage maize. The results showed that VRT significantly improved the absorption of soil moisture from deep layers, especially in dry years. During the pre-flowering period of a dry year (2020), VRT decreased SWS by 7.6%–10.0% in the 60–180 cm layer, and by 17.6%–18.5% in the 180–300 cm layer, respectively, compared to DT and TT. As a result, VRT increased ETc during the pre-flowering period by 6.1% and 9.2%, respectively. In wet years (2021 and 2022), VRT increased total ETc by 2.0%–7.9% in 2021, and by 10.1%–14.9% in 2022, respectively. On average, VRT increased the dry matter weight per plant by 1.0%–7.8%, grain yields by 2.4%–38.6%, biomass yields by 3.4%–16.2%, and WUE by 10.1%–30.0%, respectively. Particularly, the benefit of VRT for increasing yields and WUE was more noticeable in dry years. It can be concluded that VRT is a drought-tolerant and yield-boosting tillage technique that is suitable for rain-fed forage maize in semiarid areas of Loess Plateau, northwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A seleção das espécies de cobertura para compor o sistema de plantio direto geralmente não considera os possíveis efeitos alelopáticos entre as espécies. Neste trabalho, foi identificado e quantificado os aleloquímicos liberados pela ervilha-forrageira (Pisum sativum L. ssp. arvense (L.) Poir.) como planta de cobertura, em diferentes densidades de semeadura (0; 27,5; 55; 82,5 kg ha-1) e tempos de decomposição (7, 21 e 35 dias) antes de semeadura do milho (Zea mays). Os aleloquímicos do solo foram identificados e quantificados por cromatografia liquida de alta eficiência (HPLC). No milho se avaliou a emergência, índice de velocidade de emergência (IVE), clorofila a e b, área foliar e massa seca de parte aérea. Houve incremento de catequina com o cultivo do milho. A epicatequina foi identificada após o cultivo do milho semeado 21 e 35 dias após o corte da ervilha-forrageira. O resveratrol foi associado a decomposição da espécie de cobertura e identificado após o cultivo do milho semeado sete dias após o corte da mesma. A emergência, IVE e área foliar foram superiores no milho semeado 21 e 35 dias após o corte da ervilha-forrageira, período em que foi encontrado a epicatequina. O uso da ervilha-forrageira aumentou os teores de clorofila a e b do milho. A produção de massa seca foi superior no milho semeado sete e 35 dias após o corte da ervilha-forrageira. A sucessão de milho após a ervilha-forrageira em sistema de plantio direto aumenta os níveis de catequina, epicatequina e resveratrol no solo. A utilização de ervilha forrageira aumenta os teores de clorofila no milho em relação ao controle (sem a presença do cultivo de cobertura) e aumenta a área foliar do milho quando semeado sete dias após o corte de P. sativum (82,5 kg ha-1).

Given the introduction of increasingly productive and early maturing maize cultivars over the past decade, coupled with the restricted availability of herbicides for controlling eudicots weeds in common bean crops, leading producers have resorted to using mixtures of active ingredients. Consequently, there arises a necessity for studies to assess the carryover effects of these mixtures in succession crops. The objective of this study was to evaluate the residual effect of herbicides applied in common bean cultivars on maize, during two cultivation periods. The statistical design was a randomized complete block with four replications. The common bean cultivars BRS Pérola, IPR Tuiuiú, and BRSMG Marte were planted in the summer season 2016/2017 and in the winter season 2017, and subsequently, the maize DKB 390PRO was planted in the winter season and summer season, respectively. The experimental plots were treated with herbicides applied post-emergence, isolated or mixed, at the following rates [g a.i. ha-1]: fomesafen [250]; fomesafen [375]; bentazon + imazamox [600+28]; bentazon + imazamox + fomesafen [(600+28)+125]; and bentazon + imazamox + fomesafen [(600+28)+87.5]; and hand weeding without herbicide. The herbicides did not cause negative effects on maize yield, regardless of the sowing period and common bean cultivar.

ABSTRACT Brazil boasts a vast variety of environmental conditions conducive to maize cultivation. Given the various maize hybrids available in the Brazilian market, properly selecting and positioning different genetic materials are critical for successful grain production. Thus, this study aimed to determine the adaptability and stability of different maize hybrids, comparing the Eberhart and Russell and AMMI models, to guide the positioning of these maize hybrids in subtropical regions. A randomized block experimental design with six hybrids and three replicates was used. The experimental environments were defined by combinations of factors such as location, sowing time, fungicide management and irrigation, resulting in 12 distinct environments. Notably, the two models largely agree. For instance, the AG 9025 PRO3 hybrid showed a high yield during early sowing under favorable conditions, whereas the AS 1730 PRO3 and DKB 230 PRO3 hybrids had good yields even under unfavorable conditions. The main limitation of the Eberhart and Russell model is its limited ability to interpret stability, classifying hybrids only as having high or low predictability, limiting the detailed interpretation of stability. Conversely, the AMMI model offers a more detailed analysis of stability, allowing the interpretation of hybrid stability within a broader set and presenting information graphically, which facilitates understanding and enables a more comprehensive and accurate analysis for the appropriate positioning of maize hybrids.

ABSTRACT Seed coating is a common practice in treating corn seeds and polymers are used to improve seed performance in terms of physical, physiological, and health quality. However, adverse environmental impacts caused by using non-renewable and non-biodegradable polymers are driving the search for alternatives to overcome these effects, such as natural-based polymers. This study evaluated the effect of chitosan coating formulations (0.6-3.4 g 100 mL –1 chitosan and 0-0.60 g glycerol g –1 chitosan) on the quality of corn seeds ( Zea mays L.) regarding physical aspects (visual and morphological aspect, water content, and 1,000-seed mass), physiological potential (germination test, germination speed index, seedling length, cold test, seedling emergence, seedling emergence speed index, seedling height, and root and shoot dry matter), and health quality (Blotter test). Chitosan coatings associated with glycerol did not interfere with the water content, 1,000-seed mass, germination and emergence percentages, cold test, and root dry matter. Conversely, higher biopolymer concentrations can reduce germination speed index, emergence speed index, seedling height, and shoot dry matter. Thus, coating with chitosan 2 % and 0.30 g glycerol g –1 chitosan showed promising results in terms of physical aspects with no damage to the physiological potential of corn seeds while reducing the occurrence of Penicillium spp.

Summer maize cultivars are differently sensitive to soil moisture. To better understand the differences in water productivity of summer maize cultivars with different water sensitivity, a field experiment was conducted from 2020 to 2022. Three different water-sensitive summer maize cultivars were selected, including TY808 (high water-sensitive cultivar), DH605 (medium water-sensitive cultivar), and ZD958 (low water-sensitive cultivar). Soil water content (SWC), soil water storage (SWS), water consumption, water use efficiency, and grain yield were determined. The results showed that under rainfed conditions, the SWC of the medium water-sensitive cultivar DH605 in the deep soil layer was 2.1-18.2% lower than TY808 and ZD958, respectively, and the differences were significant in the 12th leaf stage (V12) and vegetative tassel stage (VT). The SWS of the high-water-sensitive cultivar TY808 was 0.7% to 6.4% higher than the other two water-sensitive cultivars from 2020 to 2022. The changes in SWS are related to the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation. The water consumption of DH605 was higher than TY808 and ZD958 by 5.3% and 7.09% in 2020 and 2.9% and 2.8% in 2021; in 2022, DH605 is 2% higher than ZD958 and 2.8% lower than TY808, respectively. The yield of DH605 was 4.3-10.78% higher than the other two cultivars in the three-year experiment. Additionally, the 1 000-kernel weight of DH605 was the highest in TY808 and ZD958. DH605 has the highest water use efficiency, which was increased by 4.8-14.6% compared to TY808 and ZD958. Through path analysis, we found that the direct path coefficient of SWS in the VT stage on yield reached 0.999, indicating that soil moisture in the VT stage has the greatest impact on yield, followed by the blister stage (R2). In conclusion, our results suggest that the water consumption of summer maize during the VT stage is the highest, and the soil moisture condition in VT significantly affects the grain yield of summer. Planting DH605 in the North China Plain would harvest the maximum grain yield and water productivity.

This study evaluated the effects of biological silage additives with and without chemical salts on the fermentation parameters of whole plant corn silage. The experiment consisted of five treatments: two with lactic acid bacteria (LAB without chemical salts), two with combined additives (LAB + chemical salts), and a control. Firstly, control (C) and subsequently facultatively heterofermentative (A) and obligately heterofermentative (B) LAB (LAB1: L. plantarumA, L. brevisB, E. faeciumA; LAB2: L. plantarumA, L. buchneriB, P. pentosaceusA) were examined. After that, LABCHSE inclusive of obligately homofermentative (C) and facultatively heterofermentative (A) LAB (L. plantarumA, L. salivariusC, E. faeciumA, P. acidilacticiC) + chemical salts (sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate) + enzymes (cellulase, hemicellulase, pentosanase, amylase) were evaluated. The last variant LABCHS with LAB (L. plantarumA, E. faeciumA, P. acidilacticiC) + chemical salt (potassium sorbate) was consisted. After six weeks of storage, the results confirmed that the application of additives can affect the quality of the fermentation process by decreasing lactic acid as a result of heterofermentative bacteria fermentation, the most strongly marked additive based on L. buchneri. The addition of all additives increased the titratable acidity and acetic content, which manifested in a narrowed lactic/acetic acid ratio and an increased pH value because of heterofermentative bacteria fermentation. The addition of additives containing chemical salts affected the fermentation process more favourably compared to the addition of additives without chemical salts, particularly by inhibiting alcohol content.

The increasing the efficiency of phosphate and micronutrient fertilization in tropical soils should be better studied to close crop yield gaps. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a soluble P source with or without humic acids (HA) and micronutrients (M) on P-availability and maize and soybean yield in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The crops were grown under a rainfed and no-till cropping system, with maize grown in the 2016/2017 rainy summer season, wheat grown as a cover crop in the 2017 winter season, and soybean grown in the 2017/2018 crop year. The field trial was organized in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement [4 sources of P in combination with 2 forms of M supply]. The coated monoammonium phosphate (MAP) P source was supplied in three ways: 1) MAP, 2) MAP + HA, and 3) MAP + HA + M (B, Cu, Mn, and Zn), plus a control for P (no P). The micronutrient supply was 1) Mn + Zn + Cu + B (MZCB) and 2) control for MZCB (no M supply). Coating MAP with HA increased soil P availability but did not increase P content within the soybean leaves. The multivariate approach also showed that soybean yield can increase in response to coating MAP with HA. The study showed that MAP + HA increased soil P content. However, this increase was diminished when micronutrients were included in the same granule (MAP + HA + M). However, P sources raised P in soybean leaves equally compared to control for P. Soybean yield was unaffected by the P source, likely due to adequate leaf P concentrations across all treatments. However, soybean yield generally increased with micronutrient supply. For maize, yields were unaffected by supplying micronutrients with the P source. Conversely, maize yields typically decreased with micronutrient supply, except when using the MAP + HA + M combination granule.

Corn is among the main agricultural products produced in Brazil, mainly due to its importance in human and animal food. Corn productivity is mainly related to climatic conditions and nutritional management, especially concerning nitrogen. The study's objective was to evaluate the response of corn hybrids subjected to nitrogen doses in a low-altitude subtropical environment. The experiment was conducted in the agricultural year of 2019/2020 in the municipality of Santa Maria-RS. The experimental design was of completely randomized blocks in a subdivided plot. Four corn hybrids, DKB 240 PRO 3, DKB 290 PRO 3, DKB 345 PRO 3, and Ag 9025 were used as the main plot, and six doses of nitrogen, 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg ha-1 in subplots. We evaluated the number of grain rows (NR) per cob, number of grains per row (NGR), cob length (CL, cm), average grain length (GL, cm), total grain weight per cob (GWC, g), thousand-grain mass (TGM, in g), and grain yield (YIE, in kg ha-1). The data were submitted to the analysis of variance (F test), and the means were compared by the Scott-Knott test at 5% of error probability and submitted to regression analysis. Cultivar Ag 9025 had the highest grain yield, associated with the highest CL, GL, GWC, TGM. The higher GL associated with high TGM compensated for the lower averages of NR and NGR for this cultivar. The maximum technical efficiency for the cultivars was 196.22 kg ha-1 of nitrogen. The mass economic efficiency with commercial values of the 2019/2020 harvest for the cultivars was 185.84 kg ha-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stalk rot disease is becoming an important disease in sweet corn crops because it causes significant yield losses of the crop. In July 2022, typical symptoms of stem rot were observed in fields of Mae Hia Agricultural Research, Demonstration and Training Center in Chiang Mai province of Thailand. The symptoms exhibited by affected crop included circular water‐soaked lesions, rot and necrotic tissue at the base of the stalk. Koch's postulates were fulfilled with reisolation of the inoculated strain from the inoculated tissues, and confirmation was obtained by phenotypic characters and 16S rRNA sequences. The isolated colony on nutrient agar was cream‐coloured, circular, with a convex elevation, entire margin and smooth surface; the optical character was translucent and exuded a yellowish pigment that diffused in the nutrient agar, gram‐negative, lacked arginine dihydrolase, occurrence of the oxidase and catalase reaction. The strains were able to utilize d‐galactose and glucose but were unable to utilize d‐maltose, d‐cellobiose, d‐fructose, d‐mannose, mannitol, lactose and sucrose. The strains showed positive results for gelatine liquefaction test, citrate utilization and casein hydrolysis, but starch hydrolysis and indole production were negative result. These characteristics are the same as those described previously for Burkholderia gladioli. Disease severity in sweet corn was 43.8%, with infections showing spots with dark margins and soft rot on mature leaves and flag leaves. Disease severity in waxy corn and maize were 21.9% and 15.6%, respectively, showing a few light or dark brown spots at the infection sites. Therefore, this represents the first report of leaf stripe and stalk rot disease in sweet corn in Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios is the property of Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the safety risk assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops, it is imperative to evaluate potential unintended effects derived from genetic manipulation. Here, we analyzed the differential proteomic signatures and compositional equivalence of two GM insect- and herbicide-resistant maize cultivars (named here as GM1 and GM2), extensively cultivated and commercialized in Brazil, and their respective conventional counterparts (CON1 and CON2). Complementary 2-DE-based and bottom-up shotgun proteomic analysis were used. All cultivars presented similar chemical compositions between the GMs and CONs, with values expected for Zea mays species. A total of 22 and 21 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in the 2-DE proteomic analysis for the GM1 vs. CON1 and GM2 vs. CON2 comparisons, respectively. In same order, 11 and 16 DEPs were identified in the bottom-up shotgun proteomic. DEPs were related to various biological processes including metabolism, energy, storage, defense, and cell stress. Vicilin-like embryo storage protein, tubulin, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase endosperm large subunit, globulin-1, and cytosolic 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, were consistently identified using both proteomic approaches. Of particular interest, vicilin-like embryo, identified as a natural allergen in maize, was down-regulated in the GM1 event compared to CON1. Our findings provide insights into potential unintended effects revealed through proteomic methodologies, utilizing both gel-based and gel-free techniques to identify alterations in protein abundance influenced by transgenic modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Corn silk (Zea mays L.) contains many active compounds, especially the flavonoid quercetin which has pharmacological activity as an antihyperlipidemic agent by reducing cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body. Antihyperlipidemic treatment by oral route, such as statin drugs, has the disadvantage of experiencing a first-pass effect in the liver, which reduces the bioavailability of the drug. In addition to avoiding the first-pass effect, transdermal patches can improve patient compliance because they are easy to use. Objective: This study aims to optimize the transdermal patch formula of corn silk extract and test the penetration of the optimum formula by in vitro. Method: Optimization of the formula using the Regular Two-Level Factorial Design method on Design Expert®. This study used 2 factors, namely HPMC with a concentration of 3%-4% and PVP with a concentration of 1%-2%. The optimum formula obtained was subjected to in vitro penetration test using Franz diffusion cell. Results: Based on the results of factorial design analysis, the optimum formula of transdermal patches is at HPMC and PVP concentrations of 3.49% and 1% with moisture content, moisture uptake, percentage of elongation, and folding endurance respectively of 7.79%, 4.19%, 13.26% and 470.58 fold. The optimum formula of corn silk extract transdermal patch preparation also had an optimum percent cumulative amount of penetrated flavonoids of 96.06% and flux of 6.17 µg/cm2.hour at 3 hours. Conclusion: Transdermal patch dosage of corn silk extract with HPMC and PVP concentrations of 3.49% and 1% proved to have good characteristics and penetration rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to evaluate the effect of the drip-tape irrigation depth on the efficiency of water use, yield, nutritional quality and profitability of forage maize, a study was established by installing drip-tape at a depths 0.05, 0.15 and 0.30 meters. Design/Methodology/Approach: a randomized block experimental design was used. Treatments evaluated consisted of the installation of drip-tape at three depths 0.05, 0.15 and 0.30 m; each treatment in three replicates. The experimental unit was a 15 m² surface (comprising four 5m-long furrows, with a 0.76 m separation between furrows). Results: results showed that with the drip-tape installed at a depth of 0.15 m, the highest biomass production and water use efficiency were obtained, without modifying the bromatological quality of the forage. However, the best benefit-cost ratio corresponded to the drip-tape installed at 0.3 m, recovering $1.27 for each MXN peso invested in crop production. Limitations/Implications of the study: water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions is a global problem, so it is necessary to use irrigation methods that make water use more efficient without reducing crop yield. Findings/conclusions: the installation of the drip-tape at a depth of 0.15 m is recommended, due to the improvement in yield and water use efficiency without affecting nutritional quality of the forage or profitability of maize crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the effects of different nitrogen doses on maize crops, with and without the inoculation of Azospirillum brasilense. The experiment was carried out during the 2020/2021 harvest season in the administrative department of Concepción, district of Horqueta, Paraguay, at the coordinates of 23°14'31.7" S and 56°53'05.9" W. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) arranged in a factorial design (4 X 2). Factor A included nitrogen doses (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg ha-1), while factor B corresponded to the bacterial inoculation (with and without A. brasilense). The experiment was performed in three replications; each experimental unit (EU) was 22.5 m2. The study evaluated the following characteristics: plant height, cob insertion height, cob length and diameter, weight of 1000 kernels, and kernel yield. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the averages were compared using Tukey's test at a 5% probability of error. Regression analysis was also carried out during the study. The experiment results demonstrated that increased nitrogen levels positively affected the measured characteristics, fitting a quadratic model, except for cob insertion height. Inoculation with A. brasilense significantly increased corn growth and productivity. The interaction of both factors produced a significant increase in cob length. Based on the experiment results, applying 104.30 kg ha-1 of N in combination with A. brasilense inoculation is recommended for improved maize production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]