Search Results (1,921)

The photosynthetic system of maize (Zea mays) leaves is sensitive to low temperatures and suffers from irreversible damage induced by cold exposure, making cold stress a major factor limiting maize yield. Identifying genes that improve the recovery of photosynthesis from low temperatures in maize will help enhance the cold tolerance of this crop and ensure stable yields. Here, we demonstrate the role of starch phosphorylase 2 (ZmPHOH) in promoting photosynthetic recovery from cold damage. Chlorotic leaf3 (chl3), a null mutant of ZmPHOH, which undergoes chlorophyll degradation and chlorosis earlier than under normal growth conditions after brief exposure to 8 °C and restoration to normal. We determined that chl3 plants could not repair the damage to their photosynthetic system caused by short-term cold exposure after the temperature returned to normal. Metabolome and transcriptome profiling indicated that the soluble sugar content in chl3 leaves was significantly increased after cold treatment and could not be catabolized promptly, leading to repression of photosynthetic gene expression. Our results reveal that ZmPHOH enhances post-cold photosynthetic recovery by promoting the decomposition and metabolism of soluble sugars, thereby regulating the low-temperature resilience in maize, which provides new insights into the chilling tolerance mechanism of maize. Full article

Corn (Zea mays L.) productivity is often compromised by phytosanitary challenges, with fungal disease like Curvularia leaf spot being particularly significant. While synthetic fungicides are commonly used, there is growing interest in exploring alternative compounds that are effective against pathogens, ensure food safety, and have low toxicity to non-target organisms. In this study, we examined the biochemical changes in corn plants treated with Lippia sidoides essential oil and its major compound, thymol. Both treatments serve as preventive measures for inoculated plants and induced resistance. We tested five concentrations of each product in in vivo experiments. After evaluating the area under the disease progress curve, we analyzed leaf samples for enzymatic activities, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and chitinase. Phytoalexin induction was assessed using soybean cotyledons and sorghum mesocotyls. Cytotoxicity tests revealed lower toxicity at concentrations below 50 µL/mL. Both essential oil and thymol stimulated the production of reactive oxygen species, with thymol primarily activating catalase and L. sidoides oil increasing ascorbate peroxidase levels. Both thymol and L. sidoides were also key activators of chitinase. These findings suggest that L. sidoides essential oil and thymol are promising candidates for developing biological control products to enhance plant defense against pathogens. Full article

Phytoremediation stands at the forefront of modern environmental science, offering an innovative and cost-effective solution for the remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soils through the natural capabilities of plants. This study aims to investigate the effects of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) metals on plant growth (e.g., seedling height, stem diameter, fresh and dry weight), physiological properties (e.g., tissue relative water content, tissue electrical conductivity), and biochemical parameters (e.g., chlorophyll content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) enzyme activities) of maize compared to the control group under greenhouse conditions at the Atatürk University Plant Production Application and Research Center. The results show that plant height decreased by 20% in the lead (Pb3000) application and by 42% in the cadmium (Cd300) application compared to the control group. The highest Pb dose (Pb3000) caused a 15% weight loss compared to the control, while the highest Cd dose (Cd300) caused a weight loss of 63%. The accumulation rates of heavy metals in soil, roots, and aboveground parts of plants indicated that maize absorbed and accumulated more Cd compared to Pb. Full article

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the differences in the uptake and accumulation of rare earth elements (REEs) between selected plant species and the substrates used (soil with increased REE content, ash, and smelter waste). Eight plant species were included in the study: common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), false mayweed (Triplerosperum maritimum), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), marigold (Tagetes sp.), maize (Zea mays), white mustard (Sinapis alba), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), and autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora). The study focused on the following REE representatives: lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), europium (Eu), and gadolinium (Gd). Plant samples, divided into roots and shoots, were analyzed by ICP-MS. The obtained REE concentrations in plant tissues ranged from 9 to 697 µg kg⁻¹ (La), 10 to 1518 µg kg⁻¹ (Ce), 9 to 69 µg kg⁻¹ (Eu), and 9 to 189 µg kg⁻¹ (Gd). To determine the ability of plants to phytoextract REE, two factors were calculated: the translocation factor (TF) and the bioconcentration factor (BCF). The highest TF value was obtained for D. erythrosora growing on a substrate consisting of soil with increased REE content (Gd, TF = 4.03). Additionally, TF > 1 was obtained for all REEs in T. pratense L. In the experiment, the BCF was lower than 1 for all the plants tested. The study provided insight into the varying ability of plants to accumulate REEs, depending on both the plant species and the chemical properties of the substrate. Full article

Fresh sweet and waxy maize (Zea mays) are valuable specialty crops in southern China. Hyperspectral remote sensing offers a powerful tool for detecting maize foliar nutrients non-destructively. This study aims to investigate the capability of leaf spectroscopy (SVC HR-1024i spectrometer, wavelength range: 400–2500 nm) to retrieve maize foliar nutrients. Specifically, we (1) explored the effects of nitrogen application rates (0, 150, 225, 300, and 450 kg·N·ha⁻¹), maize cultivars (GLT-27 and TGN-932), and growth stages (third leaf (vegetation V3), stem elongation stage (vegetation V6), silking stage (reproductive R2), and milk stage (reproductive R3)) on foliar nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon) and leaf spectra; (2) evaluated the transferability of the regression and physical models in retrieving foliar nutrients across maize cultivars. We found that the PLSR (partial least squares regression), SVR (support vector machine regression), and RFR (random forest regression) regression model accuracies were fair within a specific cultivar, with the highest R² of 0.60 and the lowest NRMSE (normalized RMSE = RMSE/(Max − Min)) of 17% for nitrogen, R² of 0.19 and NRMSE of 21% for phosphorous, and R² of 0.45 and NRMSE of 19% for carbon. However, when these cultivar-specific models were used to predict foliar nitrogen across cultivars, lower R² and higher NRMSE values were observed. For the physical model, which does not rely on the dataset, the R² and NRMSE for foliar chlorophyll-a and -b (C_ab), carotenoid (C_xc), and equivalent water thickness (EWT) were 0.76 and 15%, 0.67 and 34%, and 0.47 and 21%, respectively. However, the prediction accuracy for foliar nitrogen, expressed as foliar protein in PROSPECT-PRO, was lower, with an R² of 0.22 and NRMSE of 27%, which was comparable to that of the regression models. The primary reasons for this limited transferability were attributed to (1) the insufficient number of samples and (2) the lack of strong absorption features for foliar nutrients within the 400–2500 nm wavelength range and the confounding effects of other foliar biochemicals with strong absorption features. Future efforts are needed to investigate the physical mechanisms underlying hyperspectral remote sensing of foliar nutrients and incorporate transfer learning techniques into foliar nutrient models. Full article

Paramyrothecium eichhorniae TBRC10637 has been reported as a potential biocontrol agent of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in Thailand. Despite its great potential, it remained unclear whether the strain may cause disease in other plant species, especially those sharing the same niche as water hyacinth. Here, we examined the strain for its specificity and pathogenicity on 55 plant species from 26 families ranging from crop plants to aquatic weeds. We showed that, except for water hyacinth, P. eichhorniae TBRC10637 did not cause leaf spot or leaf blight or on any of the tested plants. Scanning electron microscopy of spores inoculated on eight plant species, including economically important plants such as maize (Zea mays) and chilli (Capsicum annuum) at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h after inoculation, showed no spore germination, except on water hyacinth. Inoculation with spore-free culture washing led to blight symptoms on leaves of water hyacinth 72 h after inoculation, suggesting that enzymes and secondary metabolites may be involved in causing the blight symptoms. Our results confirmed high specificity of P. eichhorniae TBRC10637 towards water hyacinth, paving the way to control the spread of water hyacinth effectively. Full article

Agricultural drought is a condition that threatens natural ecosystems, water security, and food security. The timely identification of an agricultural drought event is essential to mitigating its effects. However, achieving a reliable and accurate assessment is challenging due to the interannual variability of precipitation in a region. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the months with drought during the agricultural cycle of the maize crop (Zea mays L.) in the Atlacomulco Rural Development District (ARDD) as a study area using the SPI and SPEI indices and their impact on each phenological stage. The results show that when analyzing the historical period (1985–2017), the ARDD is a region prone to agricultural droughts with a duration of one month. The stages of grain filling and ripening were the most vulnerable, since SPI and SPEI-1 quantify that 25% and 31% of the total months with drought occur during those stages, respectively. Towards the 2041–2080 horizon, the MCG ACCESS-ESM1-5 with the SSP2-4.5 scenario identified an occurrence of dry periods with 17% and 20% by SPI and SPEI, respectively, while for SSP5-8.5, 17% and 22% of the total number of periods corresponded to dry months with SPI and SPEI, respectively. Greater recurrence will be observed in the future, specifically after the year 2061, meaning an increase in the frequency of agricultural drought events in the region, causing difficult and erratic productive conditions for each agricultural cycle and threatening sustainable development. Therefore, it is necessary to take action to mitigate the effects of climate change in this sector. Full article

Polymer-coated controlled-release fertilizers’ (CRFs) unique nutrient release mechanism has the potential to mitigate the leaching of mobile soil nutrients, such as nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N). The study aimed to evaluate the capacity of a polymer-coated CRFs to maintain maize (Zea mays L.) crop growth/health indicators and production goals, while reducing NO₃-N leaching risks compared to conventional (CONV) fertilizers in North Florida. Four CRF rates (168, 224, 280, 336 kg N ha⁻¹) were assessed against a no nitrogen (N) application and the current University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) recommended CONV (269 kg N ha⁻¹) fertilizer rate. All CRF treatments, even the lowest CRF rate (168 kg N ha⁻¹), produced yields, leaf tissue N concentrations, plant heights, aboveground biomasses (AGB), and leaf area index (LAI) significantly (p < 0.05) greater than or similar to the CONV fertilizer treatment. Additionally, in 2022, the CONV fertilizer treatment resulted in increases in late-season movement of soil NO₃-N into highly leachable areas of the soil profile (60–120 cm), while none of the CRF treatments did. However, back-to-back leaching rainfall (>76.2 mm over three days) events in the 2023 growing season masked any trends as NO₃-N was likely completely flushed from the system. The results of this two-year study suggest that polymer-coated CRFs can achieve desirable crop growth, crop health, and production goals, while also having the potential to reduce the late-season leaching potential of NO₃-N; however, more research is needed to fully capture and quantify the movement of NO₃-N through the soil profile. Correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that CRF performance was significantly influenced by environmental factors such as rainfall and temperature. In 2022, temperature-driven nitrogen release aligned with crop uptake, supporting higher yields and minimizing NO₃-N movement. In 2023, however, rainfall-driven variability led to an increase in NO₃-N leaching and masked the benefits of CRF treatments. These analyses provided critical insights into the relationships between environmental factors and CRF performance, emphasizing the importance of adaptive fertilizer management under varying climatic conditions. Full article

Mostly, phosphorus (P) fertilizers are fixed in the interlayer of soil and become unavailable to crop plants. Combined inorganic fertilizers with organic manures could be a suitable solution to release these nutrients from the soil. P deficiency in soil adversely affected crop growth and development to a larger extent. To check out this problem, present research was conducted over a two-year period to evaluate the efficiency of a combined mixture of inorganic P and organic manure as a better farming strategy, in relation to their sole treatments, for enhancing P availability, plant growth, yield and quality, and soil properties. The inorganic source of P was SSP in the form of P₂O₅, while the organic source was cattle manure mixed with crop residues called farmyard manure (FYM). The experiment consisted of the same six treatments over each year: (i) control (0F+0P), (ii) 45 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹ (45P), (iii) 90 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹ (90P), (iv) 45 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹ + 1000 kg FYM ha⁻¹ (45P+1000F), (v) 1000 kg FYM ha⁻¹ (1000F), and (vi) 2000 kg FYM ha⁻¹ (2000F), using randomized complete block design (RCBD), to five replications. Results demonstrated that the combination of SSP with FYM increased the plant height (27.9%), grain yield (23.4%), and plant P uptake efficiency (43.7%) of maize as compared to sole SSP at 90 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹, which occurred due to improved P availability in soil. By comparing sole amendments of P fertilizer sources, FYM-treated plots have performed better in increasing maize growth and yield components such as plant height, dry matter, crop growth rate (CGR), net photosynthetic rate, grain yield, and crude protein (e.g., nitrogen contents); this happened due to enhanced soil chemical properties that might be related to improvement in P level and decreased bulk density of soil. Further, significant positive correlations were exhibited among studied crop and soil data. The plant available P and grain protein contents (N concentration) also showed a significant positive correlation and exhibited higher nitrogen contents under organic amendments of P fertilizer, as compared to inorganic treatments. The study concluded that combined SSP at 45 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹ with organic cattle manure at 1000 kg ha⁻¹ has a great potential for enhancing maize productivity under water deficit conditions. Results of this research may further be improved by including rigorous soil samples and field heterogeneity data between the plots and the years, which will provide more clear findings from a combined mixture of organic and inorganic fertilization. Full article

High soil moisture due to frequent excessive precipitation can lead to reductions in maize grain yields and increased nitrogen (N) loss. The traditional methods of computing N status in crops are destructive and time-consuming, especially in waterlogged fields. Therefore, in this study, we used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing to evaluate the status of maize under different N rates and excessive soil moisture conditions. The experiment was performed using a split plot design with four replications, with soil moisture conditions as main plots and different N rates as sub-plots. The artificial intelligence SciPy (version 1.5.2) optimization algorithm and spherical function were used to estimate the economically optimum N rate under the different treatments. The computed EONR for CRS 2022 was 157 kg N ha⁻¹ for both treatments, with the maximum net return to N of USD 1203 ha⁻¹. In 2023, the analysis suggested a lower maximum attainable yield in excessive water conditions, with EONR pushed up to 197 kg N ha⁻¹ as compared to 185 kg N ha⁻¹ in the control treatment, resulting in a lower maximum net return to N of USD 884 ha⁻¹ as compared to USD 1019 ha⁻¹ in the control treatment. This study reveals a slight reduction of the fraction of NDRE at EONR to maximum NDRE under excessive water conditions, highlighting the need for addressing such abiotic stress circumstances when arriving at an N rate recommendation based on an N-rich strip concept. This study confirms the importance of sensing technology for N monitoring in maize, particularly in supporting decision making in nutrient management under adverse weather conditions. Full article

Background: As a major food crop, maize is highly susceptible to pathogenic bacteria, which greatly reduces its yield and quality. Metabolomics reveals physiological and biochemical changes in organisms and aids in analyzing metabolic changes caused by various factors. Methods: This study utilized metabolomics to examine maize’s metabolic changes after NCLB infestation, aiming to uncover related pathways and potential biomarkers. The metabolite measurements were performed during the maize silking stage. Results: PCA showed an obvious dispersion between the treated and untreated groups. OPLS-DA identified 1274 differential metabolites, with 242 being downregulated (mainly phenolics and esters) and 1032 upregulated (primarily organic acids, amino acids, sugars, and derivatives). KEGG annotation revealed 50 affected metabolic pathways, and the biosynthesis of secondary metab-olites and amino acids was significantly enriched. Conclusions: We hypothesized that metabolic pathways related to sugar metabolism, proline metabolism, and jasmonic acid synthesis are associated with NCLB susceptibility. These findings provide critical insights into the metabolic responses of maize to biotic stress, offering a theoretical basis for future research on plant resistance mechanisms. Full article

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a kind of mycotoxin that widely contaminates food and feed and poses a threat to poultry farming. As a natural extract, glycyrrhizin acid (GA) has antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Although studies have revealed the toxic effects of ZEA on the liver, the mechanism by which GA reduces ZEA’s toxic protective glandular stomach remains unclear. In order to study the therapeutic effect of GA on tissue damage caused by ZEA, we conducted in vivo and in vitro experiments to compare the expression of inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and necrosis. The results showed that ZEA can induce inflammation in tissues and cells, inducing apoptosis and necrosis. In addition, GA can alleviate the toxic effects caused by ZEA and protect cells. Dietary GA significantly increased the antioxidant capacity of glandulae and inhibited the overexpression of NFκB/IκB-α and its mediated inflammatory response. Moreover, GA decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic factors and necrosis factors, thereby alleviating apoptosis and necrosis of chicken glandular stomach cells. At present, the mechanism of ZEA damage to livers and lungs has been confirmed by studies. However, there have been no studies on GA alleviating the damage caused by ZEA to the glandular stomach. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of GA alleviating the damage caused by ZEA in the glandular stomach through in vivo and in vitro experimental comparison. The results may provide some reference for the solution of feed contamination. Full article

Phosphorus is one of the key limiting factors for maize growth and productivity, and low-phosphorus stress severely restricts crop yield and stability. Enhancing the ability of maize to grow under low-phosphorus stress and improving phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) are crucial for achieving high and stable yields. Phosphate transporter (PHT) family proteins play a crucial role in the absorption, transport, and utilization of phosphorus in plants. In this study, we systematically identified the PHT gene family in maize, followed by the phylogenetic, gene structure, and expression profiles. The results show that these genes are widely distributed across the 10 chromosomes of maize, forming multiple subfamilies, with the PHT1 subfamily having the largest number. Cis-regulatory element analysis revealed that these genes might play key roles in plant stress responses and hormone regulation. Transcriptome analysis under phosphorus-deficient and normal conditions demonstrated developmental stage- and tissue-specific expression patterns, identifying candidate genes, such as ZmPHT1-3, ZmPHT1-4, ZmPHT1-10, and ZmPHO1-H3, involved in phosphorus stress response. This study presents a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the PHT gene family in maize, providing key molecular resources for improving phosphorus use efficiency and breeding phosphorus-efficient maize varieties. Full article

Over 80% of corn on Mexico’s eastern side is sown under rainfed conditions. Therefore, drought represents a constant challenge for local producers. This study aims to determine the effects of drought on rainfed corn grain production on Mexico’s eastern side by using the North American Drought Monitor as the primary tool. Drought levels at the municipal level provided by this monitor and corn production data (surface damage, yield, and volume) of the two productive seasons (spring–summer and autumn–winter) during 20 years were correlated at two significant levels (0.05 and 0.01). The significant values (p < 0.05) were used to obtain regression curves representing corn-drought behaviors. The National Disaster Statistics and climatological stations were considered, discarding other phenomena besides drought. Results indicate that, for the significant municipalities, the years with the highest drought levels (2005, 2011, and 2019) positively correlate with reduced corn grain yield, volume, and total harvest losses. The regression curves estimated a yield reduction of 78 kg∙ha⁻¹ during the spring–summer season and 76 kg∙ha⁻¹ during the autumn–winter season. We concluded that the Drought Monitor is valuable for determining relationships between rainfed corn grain productivity and drought, considering that no other climatological phenomena affect the region. Full article

This study investigated the effects of applying olive mill wastewater (OMWW) at different periods prior to corn (Zea mays) sowing on germination rate (GR), growth, and soil nutrient availability in calcareous soil. The OMWW was applied at rates of 0, 20, 40, and 60 m³ ha⁻¹ and was allowed to remain in soil for zero, one, two, three, or four months before sowing corn seeds. Immediate planting after OMWW application significantly reduced the GR, with rates of 83%, 75%, and 63% at 20, 40, and 60 m³ ha⁻¹, respectively. Germination improved when corn was sown one month after OMWW application, with a GR of 92% at both 20 and 40 m³ ha⁻¹ and 79% at 60 m³ ha⁻¹. The GR increased to 96% for the 40 and 60 m³ ha⁻¹ rates when OMWW was applied two months before planting. The adverse impact on GR disappeared when OMWW was in the soil for three months before sowing, providing a GR similar to the unamended control. Corn dry matter yield also improved when OMWW was applied two to three months before planting. The phytotoxic effects of OMWW, due to its high polyphenol content, diminished over time due to rapid degradation in calcareous soils. Soil available N and P were highest, and plant N, P, and K content increased, when OMWW was applied two months prior to planting. Soil pH decreased from 7.8 to 7.2 at 60 m³ ha⁻¹ of OMWW at planting time. Results suggest that OMWW can enhance soil quality and corn growth if applied one to two months before planting to avoid possible negative impact on germination. This work bridges the gap between waste management and sustainable agriculture, offering practical guidelines for OMWW utilization. Full article