Enhancing production efficiency through optimizing plant density in maize-soybean strip intercropping.

Introduction: Due to limited arable land resources, intercropping has emerged as an efficient and sustainable production method for increasing total grain yield per unit land area. Maize-soybean strip intercropping (MSSI) technology is being widely promoted and applied across China. However, the combination of optimal density for achieving higher production efficiency of both soybean and maize remains unclear.

Effect of high temperature on maize yield and grain components: A meta-analysis.

Global warming poses a significant challenge to global food security, with maize playing a vital role as a staple crop in ensuring food availability worldwide. Therefore, investigating the impact of high temperature (HT) on maize cultivation is imperative for addressing food security concerns. Despite numerous studies exploring the effects of HT on maize growth and yield, a comprehensive understanding of these effects remains elusive due to variations in experimental environments, varieties, and growth stages.

Effects of exogenous salicylic acid on starch physicochemical properties and in vitro digestion under heat stress during the grain-filling stage in waxy maize.

Waxy maize starch serves as a pivotal component in global food processing and industrial applications, while high temperature (HT) during the grain-filling stage seriously affects its quality. Salicylic acid (SA) has been recognized for its role in enhancing plant heat resistance. Nonetheless, its regulatory effect on the quality of waxy maize starch under HT conditions remains unclear.

Effects of Waterlogging at Flowering Stage on the Grain Yield and Starch Quality of Waxy Maize.

Waterlogging is a common abiotic stress in global maize production. Maize flowering stage (from tasseling to silking) is more fragile to environmental stresses, and this stage frequently overlapped the plum rain season in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze river in China and affect the yield and quality of spring-sown maize severely. In the present study, the soil moisture content under control and waterlogging conditions at the flowering stage was controlled by a negative-pressure water supply and controlling pot device in a pot trial in 2014-2015.

Leaf photosynthetic characteristics of waxy maize in response to different degrees of heat stress during grain filling.

Background: In the context of climate change, maize is facing unprecedented heat stress (HS) threats during grain filling. Understanding how HS affects yield is the key to reducing the impact of climate change on maize production. Suyunuo5 (SYN5) and Yunuo7 (YN7) were used as materials, and four temperature gradients of 28℃ (day)/20℃ (night; T0, control), 32 °C/24°C (T1, mild HS), 36 °C/28°C (T2, moderate HS), and 40 °C/32°C (T3, severe HS) were set up during grain filling to explore the physiological mechanism of different degrees HS affecting photosynthetic characteristics of leaves in this study.

Spraying exogenous hormones alleviate impact of weak-light on yield by improving leaf carbon and nitrogen metabolism in fresh waxy maize.

Insufficient light during the growth periods has become one of the main factors restricting maize yield with global climate change. Exogenous hormones application is a feasible measure to alleviate abiotic stresses on crop productivity. In this study, a field trial was conducted to investigate the effects of spraying exogenous hormones on yield, dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) accumulation, leaf carbon and N metabolism of fresh waxy maize under weak-light stress in 2021 and 2022.

Response of waxy maize ( L. var. ceratina Kulesh) leaf photosynthesis to low temperature during the grain-filling stage.

Low temperature (LT) during the grain-filling stage is an important factor that affects the source-sink relationship and leads to yield loss in maize (Zea mays L). In this study, field and pot trials were conducted to investigate the effects of LT during the grain-filling stage on leaf photosynthesis, antioxidant system, hormones, and grain yield of waxy maize cultivars Suyunuo 5 (S5) and Yunuo 7 (Y7). The results showed that LT treatment inhibited the chlorophyll biosynthesis and reduced the photosynthetic pigment levels during grain-filling stage.

Comparison of the physicochemical properties of starches from maize reciprocal F1 hybrids and their parental lines.

Heterosis on maize yield and quality is highly variable and depends on parental selection. This study investigated and compared the starch structure and physicochemical properties among four sweet-waxy maize lines, four waxy maize lines, and their eight reciprocal F1 hybrids. Compared with the sweet-waxy maize, waxy maize and F1 hybrids had lower extent of branching of amylopectin and relative crystallinity, and larger starch granule size.

Starch Physicochemical Properties of Normal Maize under Different Fertilization Modes.

Improving the quality with desired functions of natural starch through agronomic practice will meet the increasing need of people for natural, functional foods. A one-off application of slow-release fertilizer is a simple and efficient practice in maize production, though its influence on the starch quality is scarce. In the present study, the structural and functional properties of the starch of normal maize under two fertilization modes (one-off application of slow-release fertilizer at the sowing time (SF), and three applications of conventional fertilizer at the sowing time, and topdressing at the jointing and flowering stages (CF)) under the same fertilization level (N/PO/KO = 405/135/135 kg/ha) were studied using Jiangyu877 (JY877) and Suyu30 (SY30) as materials.

Effects of post-silking low temperature on the starch and protein metabolism, endogenous hormone contents, and quality of grains in waxy maize.

Waxy maize has many excellent characteristics in food and nonfood industries. However, post-silking low temperature (LT) has severe limitations on its grain yield and quality. In this study, field and pot trials were conducted to investigate the effects of post-silking LT on the physiological, biochemical, and functional characteristics of two waxy maize grains.

Optimized Fertilization Practices Improved Rhizosphere Soil Chemical and Bacterial Properties and Fresh Waxy Maize Yield.

The interactive mechanism of root and soil for achieving high and stable yield of maize is still unclear. Synchronizing soil nutrient supply with crop requirements by optimizing fertilization is effective cultivation measures to improve maize yield. In this study, field trials were conducted to investigate the dynamic changes of optimized fertilization on chemical and bacterial properties in rhizosphere soil, root physiological properties, and yield of fresh waxy maize.

Interactive Effects of Nitrogen and Potassium on Grain Yield and Quality of Waxy Maize.

Reasonable fertilization of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) had significant effects on maize growth. In this experiment, two N levels (N180 and N225 kg ha) and four K treatments (K0, K75, K150 and K75 + 75 kg ha) were set to study the effects of combined application of N and K on the grain yield and quality of waxy maize. The results showed that grain yield increased with increasing K under the same N level, and top-dressing K further increased the grain yield.

Starch structural and functional properties of waxy maize under different temperature regimes at grain formation stage.

Global warming affects crop productivity, but the influence is uncertain under different temperature regimes. The impact of growth temperatures (T0, 28 °C/20 °C; T1, 32 °C/24 °C; T2, 36 °C/28 °C; T3, 40 °C/32 °C) at grain formation stage on the waxy maize starch physicochemical properties of Suyunuo5 (heat-sensitive hybrid) and Yunuo7 (heat-tolerant hybrid) was studied. Compared with T0, T2 and T3 resulted in a higher number of starch granules with more pitted or uneven surface due to the enhanced enzymatic activities of α-amylase and β-amylase.

Effects of post-silking drought stress degree on grain yield and quality of waxy maize.

Background: Drought stress (DS) induced by post-silking have a major impact on the yield and quality of maize. In this study, the effects of different degrees of DS after pollination on grain filling, starch and protein metabolism, and functional properties were investigated using two waxy maize cultivars as materials. The levels of DS that were investigated were 'mild water stress' (WS1), 'moderate water stressed' (WS2), and 'severe waterstressed' (WS3).

Transcriptomic and alternative splicing analyses provide insights into the roles of exogenous salicylic acid ameliorating waxy maize seedling growth under heat stress.

Background: Salicylic acid (SA) is a phytohormone which works to regulate the abiotic stress response of plants. However, the molecular mechanism by which SA mediates heat tolerance in waxy maize (Zea mays L. sinsensis Kulesh) remains unknown.

Proteomics reveals the effects of drought stress on the kernel development and starch formation of waxy maize.

Background: Kernel development and starch formation are the primary determinants of maize yield and quality, which are considerably influenced by drought stress. To clarify the response of maize kernel to drought stress, we established well-watered (WW) and water-stressed (WS) conditions at 1-30 days after pollination (dap) on waxy maize (Zea mays L. sinensis Kulesh).

Effects of post-silking low temperature on the physicochemical properties of waxy maize starch.

Low temperature (LT) at late growth stages is an important abiotic stress that affects the grain end-use quality of summer maize. In the present work, two experiments were conducted to study the effects of LT on the structural and functional properties of starches using two waxy maize hybrids ('Suyunuo5' and 'Yunuo7'). In field trial, the plants were sown on July 1 (normal sowing date) and August 1 (late sowing date).

Fertilization time of slow-release fertilizer affects the physicochemical properties of starch from spring-sown waxy maize.

Background: Slow-release fertilizer is widely used in cereal crop production because it is ecofriendly and laborsaving. Effects of different application stages (zero-, three-, and six-leaf stages, denoted as SN0, SN3, and SN6, respectively) of slow-release (N/P O /K O = 225/75/75 kg ha ) fertilizer on physicochemical properties of starch from spring-sown waxy maize were investigated in 2018 and 2019. Application of traditional fertilizer (NCK, compound fertilizer; N/P O /K O = 75/75/75 kg ha ) at sowing time and urea (N = 150 kg ha ) at six-leaf stage was designated as the control.

Multiomics analysis of kernel development in response to short-term heat stress at the grain formation stage in waxy maize.

Understanding the adaptive changes in maize kernels under high-temperature stress during grain formation stage is critical for developing strategies to alleviate the negative effects on yield and quality. In this study, we subjected waxy maize (Zea mays L. sinensis Kulesh) to four different temperature regimes from 1-15 d after pollination (DAP), namely normal day/normal night (control), hot day/normal night, normal day/hot night, and hot day/hot night.

Starch physicochemical properties of double recessive sweet-waxy maize.

Sweet-waxy is a new type of maize with waxy and sugary double recessive genes. This study aims to clarify starch structural and functional properties of this maize type. Grains with sweet-waxy and waxy phenotypes were separated from an ear using the two sweet-waxy maize hybrids of ATN and NKY as materials.

Application of Exogenous Phytohormones at Silking Stage Improve Grain Quality under Post-Silking Drought Stress in Waxy Maize.

The application of exogenous plant growth regulator can improve plant resistance to drought stress. The effects of application of exogenous cytokinin (CTK), brassinolide (BR), or gibberellic acid (GA) at the silking time on the grain quality of two waxy maize hybrids under drought stress at grain formation stage were studied. Grain weight of both hybrids was unaffected by exogenous phytohormones under control conditions but increased under drought conditions with the application of BR.

Water and heat stresses during grain formation affect the physicochemical properties of waxy maize starch.

Background: Maize is frequently subjected to simultaneous water (drought or waterlogging) and heat (HS) stresses during grain formation in southern China. This work examined the effect of high temperature combined with drought (HD) or waterlogging (HW) during grain formation on the starch physicochemical properties of two waxy maize hybrids, namely Suyunnuo5 (SYN5) and Yunuo7 (YN7).

Results: Heat stress enlarged the starch granule size, and water stresses aggravated this effect.

Post-Silking Shading Stress Affects Leaf Nitrogen Metabolism of Spring Maize in Southern China.

Lower sunlight caused by overcast skies from June to July in Southern China is one of the main environmental stresses that frequently occur and affect the post-silking growth and grain development of spring maize. In this study, a field trial involving four maize hybrids as materials was conducted to investigate the effects of post-silking shading stress (30% and 50% light deprivation) on leaf nitrogen metabolism and biomass accumulation during maize growing seasons in 2016 and 2017. Results indicated that 30% and 50% shading stress caused the grain yield to decrease by 47.

Effects of waterlogging at grain formation stage on starch structure and functionality of waxy maize.

The grain formation stage is a critical stage that affects grain starch quality and frequently overlaps the rainy season in southern China for waxy maize production. Two waxy maize varieties were grown under control and waterlogging conditions during grain formation (1-15 days after pollination) to probe the effects of oversaturated soil moisture on starch structural and functional characteristics. Results indicated that waterlogging during grain formation decreased the size of starch granule, proportion of large granule (d > 15 μm) and ratio of medium-length chains (DP 10-24) in amylopectin, whereas the percentage of high-molecular-weight molecules were increased.