Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Onu Ekpa, Vincenzo Fogliano, Anita Linnemann
Summary: Under high temperature and high oxygen permeability packaging materials, maize flour stored in laminated paper bags showed the lowest retention of carotenoids at only 16%; different milling methods affected the formation of volatile compounds, but not the degradation of carotenoids; maize flour stored in double-layered polyethylene bags exhibited the highest carotenoid retention and aroma stability.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Suman Dutta, Vignesh Muthusamy, Firoz Hossain, Aanchal Baveja, Krishnan P. Abhijith, Supradip Saha, Rajkumar U. Zunjare, Devendra K. Yadava
Summary: The research revealed that biofortified maize hybrids based on crtRB1 undergo significant PVAC loss during storage, but some promising hybrids with higher retention rates offer opportunities for further study and development.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Dora Zurak, Darko Grbesa, Marija Duvnjak, Goran Kis, Tatjana Medimurec, Kristina Kljak
Summary: The study found that only 43% of total carotenoids in commercial maize hybrids were bioaccessible, with the bioaccessibility of different carotenoids decreasing as the content in the grain increased. While total carotenoid content varied among different hybrids, the majority fell within lower ranges, which should be taken into consideration when formulating animal diets.
Article
Plant Sciences
Olatunde A. Bhadmus, Baffour Badu-Apraku, Oyenike A. Adeyemo, Adebayo L. Ogunkanmi
Summary: An increase in global temperature and drought is expected in sub-Saharan Africa due to climate change. Early white quality protein maize hybrids show potential in mitigating the effects of climate change, especially under conditions of drought, heat stress, and low soil nitrogen. Research in Nigeria evaluated various QPM hybrids and identified gene actions affecting grain yield under different environmental stresses, with TZEQI 6 x TZEQI 228 and TZEQI 39 x TZEQI 44 showing highest yields in stress environments. Hybrid TZEQI 210 x TZEQI 188 was identified as the most stable across various environments and recommended for further testing and commercialization in SSA.
Article
Plant Sciences
Krishna Dhakal, Amar Bahadur Pun Magar, Keshab Raj Pokhrel, Bandhu Raj Baral, Abdurahman Beshir, Hari Kumar Shrestha, Shree Prasad Vista
Summary: Zinc deficiency and vitamin A deficiency are significant global and regional issues, and crop biofortification can be a solution. Through field trials, we identified zinc and provitamin A biofortified maize genotypes that consistently performed well in different seasons, with high zinc and provitamin A content.
Article
Plant Sciences
Markus Kraenzlein, Sandra M. Schmoeckel, Christoph-Martin Geilfus, Waltraud X. Schulze, Michael Altenbuchinger, Holger Hrenn, Ute Roessner, Christian Zoerb
Summary: A study was conducted on two maize hybrids with similar growth but different physiological responses to investigate lipid remodeling strategies in response to repeated drought events. Differences in adaptability, especially in galactolipid metabolism and fatty acid saturation patterns, were observed during recovery, which may lead to membrane dysregulation in the sensitive hybrid. The more drought-tolerant hybrid showed more changes in metabolites and lipids, despite a lower physiological response, while the sensitive hybrid had higher responses but lower significance on the level of individual lipids and metabolites. This study highlights the importance of lipid remodeling during recovery in drought response.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Markus Kraenzlein, Christoph-Martin Geilfus, Bastian L. Franzisky, Xudong Zhang, Monika A. Wimmer, Christian Zoerb
Summary: The study addresses different physiological adaptive responses to drought stress among maize hybrids, revealing that hybrids with higher recovery potential may be more important than those investing more in tolerance mechanisms. Only one hybrid in the study was able to maintain biomass production under drought conditions, and in the scenario of a long drought intermitted by a water-pulse, strategies involving resistance mechanisms or high recovery potential were equally effective.
JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Temitope D. Awobusuyi, Samson A. Oyeyinka, Muthulisi Siwela, Eric O. Amonsou
Summary: This study found that Amahewu prepared from provitamin A-biofortified maize may have better nutritional quality than traditional white maize, with most nutrients being retained during the fermentation process.
Article
Agronomy
Tomasz Warzecha, Roman Bathelt, Edyta Skrzypek, Marzena Warchol, Jan Bocianowski, Agnieszka Sutkowska
Summary: The environmental conditions have an impact on the growth and productivity of crop plants. Among the various factors, drought stress is identified as one of the major threats to plant productivity. This research focused on evaluating the physiological, biochemical, and agronomic parameters of OMA plants under soil drought conditions. The results showed that most of the examined lines exhibited reduced photosynthetic pigment content, PSII photosystem activity, and yield-related traits under drought stress. However, two lines (9 and 78b) were found to retain high yielding potential compared to the commercial cv. Bingo under drought stress.
Article
Plant Sciences
Abebe Menkir, Ibnou Dieng, Wende Mengesha, Silvestro Meseka, Bussie Maziya-Dixon, Oladeji Emmanuel Alamu, Bunmi Bossey, Oyekunle Muhyideen, Manfred Ewool, Mmadou Mory Coulibaly
Summary: The study evaluated provitamin A biofortified maize hybrids in diverse field environments and found that genetic backgrounds of the hybrids mainly regulated the differences in accumulating provitamin A and other beneficial carotenoids across variable growing environments. Many hybrids accumulating more than 10 µg/g of provitamin A produced higher grain yields (>3600 kg/ha) than the orange commercial maize hybrid (3051 kg/ha). These hybrids were also competitive in accumulating lutein and zeaxanthins compared to the orange commercial maize hybrid.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Abebe Menkir, Ibnou Dieng, Silvestro Meseka, Bunmi Bossey, Wende Mengesha, Oyekunle Muhyideen, Priscillia F. Riberio, Mmadou Coulibaly, Abdoul-Madjidou Yacoubou, Folusho A. Bankole, Gloria Boakyewaa Adu, Tayo Ojo
Summary: This study utilized a sequential selection scheme to breed maize hybrids with both drought tolerance and Striga resistance, effectively addressing the issue of yield losses caused by drought and Striga infestation in sub-Saharan Africa. The results demonstrate the successful development of dependable hybrids that can reduce food deficits in rural communities experiencing these two stresses.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Xucun Jia, Guangjun Wu, Christopher Strock, Liang Li, Shuting Dong, Jiwang Zhang, Bin Zhao, Jonathan P. Lynch, Peng Liu
Summary: This study evaluates the relationship between root anatomy and nitrogen uptake efficiency in hybrid maize varieties. It suggests that changes in root anatomy, such as increased formation of root cortical aerenchyma and larger cortical cell size, are beneficial for improving nitrogen uptake efficiency and shoot biomass under nitrogen stress conditions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shakeel Ahmad, Guo-Yun Wang, Ihsan Muhammad, Yu-Xin Chi, Muhammad Zeeshan, Jamal Nasar, Xun-Bo Zhou
Summary: The application of melatonin with nitrogen significantly improves maize seedling growth under drought stress conditions by reducing reactive oxygen species accumulation and increasing antioxidant and nitrogen metabolism enzyme activities.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ezequiel Saenz, Lucas Borras, Jose A. Gerde
Summary: The study found significant differences in the concentration and proportion of specific carotenoids in flint and dent maize varieties grown in different environments, with flint maize containing more 13-branch carotenoids and dent maize containing more alpha-branch carotenoids. Flint maize had twice as much provitamin A concentration on average than dent maize, which directly influenced the flour color, with flint maize producing more saturated orange-colored flours and dent maize producing light-yellow colored flours.
JOURNAL OF CEREAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Maciej T. Grzesiak, Anna Maksymowicz, Katarzyna Hura, Kinga Dziurka, Agnieszka Ostrowska, Stanislaw Grzesiak
Summary: In the natural environment, plants are exposed to various abiotic and biotic stresses simultaneously or sequentially. However, little is known about the combined effects of these stresses on plants. This study investigated the effects of soil compaction and drought on maize hybrids through measurements of gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, leaf area, leaf greening, leaf water deficit, leaf water potential, and membrane injury. The results showed that high soil compaction led to a decrease in most measured traits, while drought had a greater impact, especially on sensitive hybrids. The study also revealed the genetically determined variability of tolerance to these stresses and suggested potential criteria for hybrid selection.
JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Edna K. Mageto, Jose Crossa, Paulino Perez-Rodriguez, Thanda Dhliwayo, Natalia Palacios-Rojas, Michael Lee, Rui Guo, Felix San Vicente, Xuecai Zhang, Vemuri Hindu
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rui Guo, Thanda Dhliwayo, Edna K. Mageto, Natalia Palacios-Rojas, Michael Lee, Diansi Yu, Yanye Ruan, Ao Zhang, Felix San Vicente, Michael Olsen, Jose Crossa, Boddupalli M. Prasanna, Lijun Zhang, Xuecai Zhang
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Agronomy
Edna K. Mageto, Michael Lee, Thanda Dhliwayo, Natalia Palacios-Rojas, Felix San Vicente, Juan Burgueno, Arnel R. Hallauer
Article
Agronomy
Rui Guo, Jiafa Chen, Cesar D. Petroli, Angela Pacheco, Xuecai Zhang, Felix San Vicente, Sarah J. Hearne, Thanda Dhliwayo
Summary: The study investigated the genetic structure of temperate maize inbreds with expired Plant Variety Protection in tropical maize breeding programs using DNA markers. The analysis revealed two major groups, CIMMYT and ex-PVP, with ex-PVP lines clustering according to BSSS and NSSS heterotic groups. Genetic divergence estimates favored breeding with different heterotic groups and could be used to maximize genetic divergence and combining ability in CIMMYT heterotic groups.
Review
Agronomy
Boddupalli M. Prasanna, Jill E. Cairns, P. H. Zaidi, Yoseph Beyene, Dan Makumbi, Manje Gowda, Cosmos Magorokosho, Mainassara Zaman-Allah, Mike Olsen, Aparna Das, Mosisa Worku, James Gethi, B. S. Vivek, Sudha K. Nair, Zerka Rashid, M. T. Vinayan, AbduRahman Beshir Issa, Felix San Vicente, Thanda Dhliwayo, Xuecai Zhang
Summary: Intensive breeding efforts and public-private partnerships have led to an increase in genetic gains, resulting in the deployment of elite climate-resilient maize cultivars in stress-prone environments. These efforts have successfully developed and deployed a variety of stress-tolerant maize cultivars in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America, playing a critical role in improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the tropics facing climate-induced stresses.
THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Alberto A. Chassaigne-Ricciulli, Leopoldo E. Mendoza-Onofre, Leobigildo Cordova-Tellez, Aquiles Carballo-Carballo, Felix M. San Vicente-Garcia, Thanda Dhliwayo
Summary: The study found that planting density had little impact on maize seed yield, while male inbred lines and single cross combinations with early maturity and high yield can increase production. In tropical lowlands, planting dates for parents and accumulated GDD information are important factors influencing seed yield of three-way cross hybrids.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jiaojiao Ren, Zhimin Li, Penghao Wu, Ao Zhang, Yubo Liu, Guanghui Hu, Shiliang Cao, Jingtao Qu, Thanda Dhliwayo, Hongjian Zheng, Michael Olsen, Boddupalli M. Prasanna, Felix San Vicente, Xuecai Zhang
Summary: Through GWAS and linkage mapping analyses, multiple SNPs and QTL associated with common rust resistance in maize were identified, with several genes playing important roles in stress resilience and plant growth and development. This study also reported a significant SNP for the first time and discovered two new QTL.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Jiaojiao Ren, Penghao Wu, Gordon M. Huestis, Ao Zhang, Jingtao Qu, Yubo Liu, Hongjian Zheng, Amos E. Alakonya, Thanda Dhliwayo, Michael Olsen, Felix San Vicente, Boddupalli M. Prasanna, Jiafa Chen, Xuecai Zhang
Summary: This study used genome-wide association study (GWAS) and selective genotyping analysis to decipher the genetic architecture of maize tar spot complex (TSC) resistance. A major resistance QTL was fine mapped, and candidate genes related to disease resistance were identified. This research provides valuable information for cloning the resistance gene and facilitating marker-assisted selection for improving TSC resistance.
THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Aldo Rosales, Jose Crossa, Jaime Cuevas, Luisa Cabrera-Soto, Thanda Dhliwayo, Thokozile Ndhlela, Natalia Palacios-Rojas
Summary: This study used Bayesian and modified partial least square regression models to predict the content of provitamin A carotenoids in maize genotypes using near-infrared spectroscopy data. Both regression methods showed similar accuracies in predicting carotenoid content, offering opportunities for cost-effective and high-throughput phenotyping in maize breeding.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yadhira C. Ortiz-Covarrubias, Martha Monzerrath Orozco-Sifuentes, Dulce Mendoza-Rodriguez, Jose A. Villlarreal-Quintanilla, Octavio Martinez, Fernando Hernandez-Godinez, Maria de Jesus Jauregui-Gonzalez, M. Humberto Reyes-Valdes
Summary: The Dasylirion genus is widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico and USA, and plays important roles. This study used molecular phylogenetic analysis to infer the evolutionary patterns and estimate the origin time of the Dasylirion genus. The results showed that the genus appeared more than 5.46 million years ago with a high diversification rate.
PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES-CHARACTERIZATION AND UTILIZATION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Sylvanus Odjo, Nicolas Bongianino, Jessica Gonzalez Regalado, Maria Luisa Cabrera Soto, Natalia Palacios-Rojas, Juan Burgueno, Nele Verhulst
Summary: In Mexico, smallholder farmers face challenges in preserving locally adapted maize varieties due to storage losses and climate change. This study compared the effectiveness of conventional storage practices (polypropylene woven bags) with hermetic storage technologies in minimizing losses and maintaining seed germination. The results showed that hermetic containers were more effective in preserving maize seed biodiversity and ensuring smallholders' food security.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jingtao Qu, Alberto A. Chassaigne-Ricciulli, Fengling Fu, Haoqiang Yu, Kate Dreher, Sudha K. Nair, Manje Gowda, Yoseph Beyene, Dan Makumbi, Thanda Dhliwayo, Felix San Vicente, Michael Olsen, Boddupalli M. Prasanna, Wanchen Li, Xuecai Zhang
Summary: This study analyzed the genetic diversity and quality control issues of CIMMYT maize lines (CMLs) using genotyping and genetic distance analysis. The results showed that CMLs have high genetic diversity, but there are some purity and labeling issues. Additionally, the study found a clear genetic divergence between temperate and tropical maize.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Aldo Rosales, Aide Molina-Macedo, Mayolo Leyva, Felix San Vicente, Natalia Palacios-Rojas
Summary: Zinc deficiency is a major health challenge globally, especially in areas with limited access to diverse diets. This study examines the zinc content in maize kernels with different genetic backgrounds during kernel development. It is found that high-zinc kernel genotypes have higher zinc and iron contents during the milky stage. By consuming fresh maize biofortified with zinc, a significant portion of the nutrient needs for pregnant women and children can be fulfilled. These results highlight the potential of fresh high-zinc maize as a valuable source for addressing zinc deficiency.
Article
Agronomy
Ao Zhang, Paulino Perez-Rodriguez, Felix San Vicente, Natalia Palacios-Rojas, Thanda Dhliwayo, Yubo Liu, Zhenhai Cui, Yuan Guan, Hui Wang, Hongjian Zheng, Michael Olsen, Boddupalli M. Prasanna, Yanye Ruan, Jose Crossa, Xuecai Zhang
Summary: In maize breeding, the development of inbred lines with high general and specific combining abilities, as well as the identification of hybrids with high yield potentials, are crucial. Genomic selection (GS) shows promise in predicting the performance of new hybrids and inbred lines based on molecular markers, potentially reducing breeding costs significantly.
