Identifying yield-related genes in maize based on ear trait plasticity

Area of Science:

• Plant genetics
• Agricultural science
• Genomics

Background:

• Phenotypic plasticity, the variation in traits due to environmental factors, is key to crop adaptation.
• Understanding the genetic basis of maize ear trait plasticity is vital for climate-resilient agriculture.
• High-throughput phenotyping is essential for genetic studies in large maize populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an automated platform for high-throughput maize ear phenotyping.
• To investigate the phenotypic plasticity of maize ear traits in response to different environments.
• To identify candidate genes controlling kernel number plasticity in maize.

Main Methods:

• Development of MAIZTRO, an automated maize ear phenotyping platform.
• Analysis of 15 ear phenotypes and their plasticity in 3819 transgenic maize lines across multiple environments.
• Focus on kernel number as a primary trait for yield improvement and stability.

Main Results:

• MAIZTRO enabled high-throughput measurement of maize ear phenotypes and their plasticity.
• 34 candidate genes potentially regulating kernel number plasticity were identified.
• Significant variation in phenotypic plasticity was observed across transgenic maize lines.

Conclusions:

• MAIZTRO is an effective platform for exploring yield-related traits and their plasticity.
• Genes and alleles influencing ear trait plasticity can be identified using transgenic maize populations.
• This research contributes to developing strategies for stable maize yields in changing climates.