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Physiological Ecology and Regulation of High-Yield Maize Cultivation
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Physiological Ecology and Regulation of High-Yield Maize Cultivation

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Physiology and Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 4213

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Wanrong Gu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150006, China
Interests: crop chemical regulation; maize stress physiology; maize high-yield cultivation and regulation
Dr. Jing Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150006, China
Interests: maize stress physiology; maize high-yield cultivation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, the high-yield cultivation of maize faces challenges in terms of physiological and ecological aspects, such as poor soil fertility, compaction, and pH levels; difficulty in controlling planting density, unreasonable water and fertilizer regulation, and easy nutrient imbalance; improper chemical control that an affect plant growth and nutrient allocation; an increase in the variety of pests and diseases, as well as an increase in drug resistance; and insufficient innovation in high-yield cultivation techniques. Therefore, systems are used to carry out the optimization of maize canopy light energy distribution and utilization; master the development of root systems, efficient nutrient utilization, and understand the mechanisms of interaction with microorganisms; clarify responses to multiple environmental stresses and the defense mechanisms against pests and diseases; and analyze the mechanism of grain development and promote yield formation. In the field of maize cultivation, it is necessary to innovate and optimize cultivation modes, apply precision agriculture technologies, improve yield and resource utilization efficiency, evaluate ecosystems, and explore sustainable development and the path to creating a good ecological environment.

This Special Issue of Plants is open to research articles on all aspects of the growth and development laws of maize, environmental adaptability and resource utilization, optimization and innovation of cultivation techniques, and mechanisms of yield and quality formation, and focuses on ecological environmental factors such as soil, water resources, and biodiversity.

Prof. Dr. Wanrong Gu
Dr. Jing Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • crop chemical regulation
  • water and fertilizer regulation
  • maize stress physiology
  • maize high-yield cultivation

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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18 pages, 11519 KB  
Article
Physiological Mechanisms Underlying Maize Yield Enhancement by Straw Return in the Thin-Layer Mollisol Region of the Songnen Plain
by Chenglong Guan, Tai Ma, Ming Miao, Jiuhui Chen, Zhicheng Bao, Baoyu Chen, Jingkun Lu, Fangming Liu, Nan Wang, Hongjun Wang and Zhian Zhang
Plants 2025, 14(21), 3331; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14213331 - 31 Oct 2025
Viewed by 393
Abstract
Long-term intensive cultivation has caused soil fertility decline and structural degradation in the Songnen Plain, thereby constraining maize root development and yield formation. As a fundamental conservation tillage practice, straw return enhances soil function by incorporating exogenous organic matter and regulating root-shoot physiological [...] Read more.
Long-term intensive cultivation has caused soil fertility decline and structural degradation in the Songnen Plain, thereby constraining maize root development and yield formation. As a fundamental conservation tillage practice, straw return enhances soil function by incorporating exogenous organic matter and regulating root-shoot physiological processes. However, the mechanism underlying yield improvement through root–photosynthesis–nitrogen synergy remains insufficiently understood. A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of conventional tillage (CT), straw incorporation (SI), straw mulching (SM), and deep straw incorporation (DF) on maize physiological traits and yield. Compared with CT, DF markedly enhanced root morphology and physiology, increasing the root length, surface area, volume, and root-shoot ratio by 16.46%, 23.87%, 26.64%, and 51.34%, respectively. The root bleeding intensity increased by 23.63%, whereas amino acid and nitrate contents in the bleeding sap increased by 29.20% and 65.93%, respectively, indicating improved root nutrient transport capacity. The enhanced root system positively influenced shoot photosynthesis by increasing the chlorophyll SPAD value by 16.05%, net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 11.28%, and the activities of RuBP, PEP, nitrate reductase (NR), and glutamine synthetase (GS) by 10.59%, 24.36%, 29.94%, and 12.47%, respectively. These synergistic improvements significantly promoted post-anthesis biomass accumulation and yield formation. DF increased nitrogen and dry matter accumulation at the R3 stage by 26.61% and 15.67%, respectively, and resulted in an average yield increase of 8.34%, which was primarily due to an 11.96% increase in 100-grain weight. Although SI and SM also improved certain physiological indices, their effects were weaker than those of DF. RF analysis identified sap nitrate content (RNO), bleeding intensity (RBI), root length (RL), and root volume (RV) as key yield determinants. PLS-SEM further revealed that straw return enhanced root morphology and bleeding traits (path coefficients: 0.96 and 0.82), which subsequently improved leaf photosynthetic traits (path coefficients: 0.52 and 0.39) and biomass accumulation (path coefficient: 0.71). Collectively, these improvements promoted post-anthesis nitrogen accumulation and dry matter partitioning into grains. These findings elucidated the physiological mechanism by which deep straw incorporation increased maize yield through root system optimization, providing a theoretical basis for conservation tillage optimization in the thin-layer Mollisol region of the Songnen Plain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Ecology and Regulation of High-Yield Maize Cultivation)
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33 pages, 30973 KB  
Article
Boosting Maize Yield and Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through Synergistic Nitrogen and Chemical Regulation by Optimizing Roots and Developing Grains Under High-Density Planting in Northeast China
by Xiaoming Liu, Yao Meng, Lihua Xie, Yubo Hao, Yang Yu, Guoyi Lv, Yubo Jiang, Yiteng Zhang, Chunrong Qian and Wanrong Gu
Plants 2025, 14(20), 3193; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14203193 - 17 Oct 2025
Viewed by 707
Abstract
Increasing planting density is an effective strategy for enhancing maize (Zea mays L.) yield. However, high density often inhibits plant growth and dry matter accumulation. Synergistic nitrogen management and chemical regulation offer an effective approach to overcoming yield limitations under high-density conditions. [...] Read more.
Increasing planting density is an effective strategy for enhancing maize (Zea mays L.) yield. However, high density often inhibits plant growth and dry matter accumulation. Synergistic nitrogen management and chemical regulation offer an effective approach to overcoming yield limitations under high-density conditions. A two-year field experiment with two maize cultivars under high density (90,000 plants ha−1), involving four nitrogen rates combined with PGR, explored their effects on root growth, yield formation, and greenhouse gas emissions. Results showed that 240 kg N ha−1 significantly improved root morphological characteristics (root dry weight, root volume, root surface, root length) and physiological traits (bleeding sap rate, etc.), with chemical regulation providing additional enhancements. Additionally, nitrogen application increased the maximum grain-filling rate (Vmax) and enzyme activity in grains, thereby enhancing grain weight; chemical regulation increased dry matter accumulation and its contribution to grains. Reduced nitrogen application combined with chemical regulation effectively decreased greenhouse gas emission. The highest maize yield was obtained under the application of 240 kg N ha−1 combined with chemical regulation, which promoted root growth and grain formation, thereby improving yield and reducing emissions. This study indicates that the cultivation practice combining nitrogen application with chemical regulation provides an optimized approach for environmentally friendly and high-yield maize cultivation under high planting density. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Ecology and Regulation of High-Yield Maize Cultivation)
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25 pages, 1215 KB  
Article
Do Oxytetracycline and Ciprofloxacin Affect Growth Phenotype, Leaf Photosynthetic Enzyme Activity, Nitrogen Metabolism, and Endogenous Hormone Homeostasis in Maize Seedlings?
by Mingquan Wang, Yong Wang, Guoliang Li, Guanghui Hu, Lixin Fu, Shaoxin Hu, Jianfei Yang and Zhiguo Wang
Plants 2025, 14(19), 3021; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14193021 - 30 Sep 2025
Viewed by 857
Abstract
The wide use of antibiotics in multiple fields leads to their entry into the environment, challenging agriculture and ecology and potentially affecting maize seedling growth. In this study, maize variety Longken 10 was chosen as the experimental material. Subsequently, two antibiotics commonly utilized [...] Read more.
The wide use of antibiotics in multiple fields leads to their entry into the environment, challenging agriculture and ecology and potentially affecting maize seedling growth. In this study, maize variety Longken 10 was chosen as the experimental material. Subsequently, two antibiotics commonly utilized in production, namely oxytetracycline (OTC) belonging to the tetracycline class and ciprofloxacin (CIP) from the quinolone class, were selected. To comprehensively examine the impacts of these antibiotics on the phenotype, photosynthetic enzymes, nitrogen metabolism, and endogenous hormone contents of maize seedlings, a series of different concentration gradients (0, 3, 5, 30, 60, and 120 mg·L−1) were established, and the nutrient solution hydroponic method was employed. The results showed that, compared with the control group (CK), the activities of all indicators of maize seedlings were the strongest and the seedling growth was the most vigorous when the concentration of CIP was 5 mg·L−1 and that of OTC was 3 mg·L−1. The inhibitory effect of OTC on various indicators of maize seedlings was stronger than that of CIP. The underground parts of maize seedlings were more sensitive to OTC and CIP than the aboveground parts. Overall, maize seedlings exhibited a trend where high concentrations (30–120 mg·L−1) of antibiotics inhibited growth, while low concentrations (3–5 mg·L−1) promoted growth. The treatment groups with 3–5 mg·L−1 of OTC and CIP increased maize seedling growth phenotypes, the robust growth of seedlings with enhanced vitality, and the relative water content of maize leaves; decreased the relative electrical conductivity of maize leaves, indicating reduced cell permeability; increased the activities of leaf photosynthetic enzymes (PEPCase, RUBPCase, PPDK, NADP-ME, and NADP-MDH); increased the levels of hormones (IAA, GA, and ZR) in maize leaves and roots; decreased the levels of ABA and MeJA; increased the levels of nitrogen metabolism-related enzymes (GS, GOGAT, and GAD) in roots and leaves; decreased the GDH level; enhanced root activity and increased various root parameters (including average diameter, number of root tips, total volume, total root length, and root surface area), indicating vigorous root growth. Compared with CK, the treatment groups with 30–120 mg·L−1 of OTC and CIP reduced the phenotypes of maize seedlings, decreased the relative water content of maize leaves and increased the relative electrical conductivity of maize leaves, indicating enhanced cell permeability; reduced the activity of leaf photosynthetic enzymes, leading to weakened photosynthesis and decreased photosynthetic productivity; lowered the levels of IAA, GA, and ZR in leaves and roots of maize seedlings, and increased the levels of ABA and MeJA; decreased the levels of GS, GOGAT, and GAD in leaves and roots of maize seedlings, and increased the GDH level; reduced root activity, with the corresponding decrease in various root parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Ecology and Regulation of High-Yield Maize Cultivation)
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19 pages, 15291 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification of the HD-ZIP Transcription Factor Family in Maize and Functional Analysis of the Role of ZmHD-ZIP23 in Seed Size
by Jinghua Zhang, Xuan Zhang, Mengru Liu, Yichen Jin, Qiaofeng Pai, Xiaolin Wu and Doudou Sun
Plants 2025, 14(16), 2477; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162477 - 10 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 823
Abstract
HD-ZIP proteins (homeodomain–leucine zipper proteins) are a large family of plant-specific transcription factors that play crucial roles in regulating various physiological and developmental processes, including growth, differentiation, response to environmental stress, and reproductive development. Seed size is the main limiting factor affecting the [...] Read more.
HD-ZIP proteins (homeodomain–leucine zipper proteins) are a large family of plant-specific transcription factors that play crucial roles in regulating various physiological and developmental processes, including growth, differentiation, response to environmental stress, and reproductive development. Seed size is the main limiting factor affecting the yield of maize (Zea mays). However, the genome-wide identification and characterization of this family in maize and its biological functions in seed size have not been reported. Here, 61 ZmHD-ZIP genes were identified in the genome. Phylogenetic analysis of these ZmHD-ZIP genes revealed that they are clustered into four subfamilies: HD-ZIP I, HD-ZIP II, HD-ZIP III, and HD-ZIP IV. Domain analysis revealed that the distribution of these domains aligns perfectly with the subfamily classification criteria, with members of the same subfamily sharing similar domains. Cis-acting element analysis showed that the ZmHD-ZIP family genes are involved in the regulation of plant reproductive development. In addition, ZmHD-ZIP23-overexpressing Arabidopsis and maize had larger seed with increased grain length and heavier grain weight owing to bigger embryo and endosperm area. These findings could serve as a basis for future studies on the roles of ZmHD-ZIP genes in improving maize yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Ecology and Regulation of High-Yield Maize Cultivation)
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18 pages, 2375 KB  
Article
Mitigating Drought Stress in Maize: Synergistic Effects of Zinc Sulfate and Pseudomonas spp. on Physiological and Biochemical Responses
by Fahimeh Khaledi, Hamidreza Balouchi, Mohsen Movahhedi Dehnavi, Amin Salehi and Beata Dedicova
Plants 2025, 14(10), 1483; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101483 - 15 May 2025
Viewed by 964
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of zinc sulfate and Pseudomonas spp. in terms of mitigating drought stress in maize (Zea mays L.) by analyzing physiological, biochemical, and morphological responses under field conditions. A two-year (2018–2019) field experiment investigated two [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of zinc sulfate and Pseudomonas spp. in terms of mitigating drought stress in maize (Zea mays L.) by analyzing physiological, biochemical, and morphological responses under field conditions. A two-year (2018–2019) field experiment investigated two irrigation levels (optimal and moderate stress) and twelve treatment combinations of zinc sulfate application methods (without fertilizer, soil, foliar, and seed priming) with zinc-solubilizing bacteria (no bacteria, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Drought stress significantly reduced chlorophyll content, increased oxidative damage, and impaired membrane stability, leading to a 42.4% increase in electrolyte leakage and a 10.9% reduction in leaf area index. However, the combined application of zinc sulfate and P. fluorescens, and P. aeruginosa mitigated these effects, with seed priming showing the most significant improvements. Specifically, seed priming with zinc sulfate and P. fluorescens increased catalase activity by 76% under non-stress conditions and 24% under drought stress. Principal component analysis revealed that treatments combining zinc sulfate and P. fluorescens, and P. aeruginosa were strongly associated with improved chlorophyll content, carotenoid content, and grain yield while also enhancing osmotic adjustment and antioxidant enzyme activity. These findings highlight the potential of the use of zinc sulfate and P. fluorescens as well as P. aeruginosa as sustainable strategies for enhancing maize drought tolerance, mainly through seed priming and soil application methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Ecology and Regulation of High-Yield Maize Cultivation)
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