Maize (Zea mays L.) as the most productive cereal crop is widely cultivated around the world. Changes in the environment lead to the plant adaptation response including morphological, structural, physiological, and biochemical characteristics. For example, it was reported that the final leaf numbers varied by an average of 6.6 for the same hybrids across China. Similarly, some studies have shown that low solar radiation in the canopy resulted in elongated and fragile stems, and a reduction in the strength and toughness of mechanical tissues, which then leads to an increased probability of lodging. All of the environmental adaptation responses ultimately lead to the variation in grain yield. In the context of future climate change and limited production inputs, further exploration of new environmental adaptation characteristics and mechanisms of maize, as well as optimizing field management (including cultivar, sowing date, planting density, fertilizer, and irrigation, etc.) are important ways to reduce yield losses due to environmental stresses and to achieve sustainable production.
In this Research Topic, we aim to provide new insights related to the response of maize to environmental and management factors (solar radiation, temperature, water, fertilizer, etc.) and related sustainable production managements to further explore new paths that can achieve higher resources use efficiency and environmentally friendly production.
This Research Topic welcomes original research and review articles, but is not limited to, the following themes:
• Selectivity and adaptability of maize organ morphology to the changes in environmental factors
• Optimisation of the cultivation measures (sowing date, planting density, fertilizer and irrigation management, etc.) to cope with the influence of climatic change on maize production.
• The negative effects of abiotic stresses on the resource use efficiency of maize.
• The differences in genotypic responses to environmental changes and their internal mechanisms.
Maize (Zea mays L.) as the most productive cereal crop is widely cultivated around the world. Changes in the environment lead to the plant adaptation response including morphological, structural, physiological, and biochemical characteristics. For example, it was reported that the final leaf numbers varied by an average of 6.6 for the same hybrids across China. Similarly, some studies have shown that low solar radiation in the canopy resulted in elongated and fragile stems, and a reduction in the strength and toughness of mechanical tissues, which then leads to an increased probability of lodging. All of the environmental adaptation responses ultimately lead to the variation in grain yield. In the context of future climate change and limited production inputs, further exploration of new environmental adaptation characteristics and mechanisms of maize, as well as optimizing field management (including cultivar, sowing date, planting density, fertilizer, and irrigation, etc.) are important ways to reduce yield losses due to environmental stresses and to achieve sustainable production.
In this Research Topic, we aim to provide new insights related to the response of maize to environmental and management factors (solar radiation, temperature, water, fertilizer, etc.) and related sustainable production managements to further explore new paths that can achieve higher resources use efficiency and environmentally friendly production.
This Research Topic welcomes original research and review articles, but is not limited to, the following themes:
• Selectivity and adaptability of maize organ morphology to the changes in environmental factors
• Optimisation of the cultivation measures (sowing date, planting density, fertilizer and irrigation management, etc.) to cope with the influence of climatic change on maize production.
• The negative effects of abiotic stresses on the resource use efficiency of maize.
• The differences in genotypic responses to environmental changes and their internal mechanisms.
