Maize farming faces significant challenges throughout the world due to drought, leading to substantial economic losses. This is especially critical in regions where maize is a staple crop and vital to food security, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia and Latin America. In these areas, smallholder farmers are most vulnerable to the effects of drought, which can devastate yields and livelihoods.

Breeders at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture have developed drought-tolerant maize varieties to combat this issue. Their approach involves using managed screening sites to control the intensity and timing of drought stress, alongside molecular studies to identify genetic components conferring drought tolerance. By focusing on the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms, this research integrates drought-adaptive alleles into elite maize lines to create new drought-tolerant inbred lines. Despite these efforts, drought remains a major environmental stressor impacting maize production, especially with abrupt climate changes. Therefore, further mechanistic understanding and development of high-yielding, drought-tolerant maize hybrids are needed.

The goal of this Research Topic is to explore the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in newly developed maize inbred lines and their hybrids. The research aims to identify crucial genetic factors and pathways that perform well under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions, with potential applications in breeding programs. This is crucial for ensuring food security and agricultural sustainability in areas frequently affected by drought. Additionally, the research will focus on identifying drought-tolerant crosses through genetic and molecular analyses, ultimately improving grain yield in maize breeding programs under limited water conditions.

We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• The use of molecular techniques to identify and characterize genes involved in drought-adaptive responses

• In-depth studies on the physiological and biochemical pathways contributing to drought tolerance in maize

• Genetic and transcriptomic analyses to decipher the mechanisms of stress response under different water regimes

• Identification and validation of promising genetic materials for future breeding programs based on their mechanistic resilience to drought stress

• Discovery of novel genetic pathways and markers associated with drought tolerance for potential use in breeding strategies

• Exploration of wild relatives and their allelic diversity to uncover new sources of stress tolerance in maize

• Genotype-by-environment interaction studies on drought tolerance

This research is critical in advancing our understanding of plant-environment interactions, contributing to the resilience of maize production systems worldwide in the face of climate change.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Mechanistic Insights and Genetic Basis of Drought Tolerance in New Maize Hybrids