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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Laboratory-determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments as a Measure of Internal Phosphorus Loading
Published on: March 6, 2014
ZmPHR1 coordinates root-rhizosphere processes and phosphorus allocation to enhance phosphorus efficiency and yield in
Chenxi Fu1, Yan Sun1, Yanyan Wang1
1State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions (Ministry of Education), China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Background And Aims:
Phosphorus (P) deficiency severely restricts crop productivity, making the improvement of P efficiency a major goal for sustainable agriculture. ZmPHR1, a central transcription factor in P signalling, has remained functionally unresolved in whole-plant coordination.
Methods:
Here, CRISPR/Cas9 knockout (zmphr1) and overexpression (ZmPHR1-OE) lines were used to dissect its regulatory mechanisms from root to grain.
Key Results:
ZmPHR1 loss-of-function markedly reduced root biomass, total root length and rhizosphere acid phosphatase activity, leading to lower P accumulation and grain yield. In contrast, ZmPHR1 overexpression optimized root system architecture by narrowing root angle, increasing deep-root biomass and enhancing rhizosphere APase activity in low-P conditions. These changes improved soil P acquisition, leaf P concentration and photosynthetic rate, resulting in ≤48 % higher grain yield relative to wild type. ZmPHR1 further promoted P remobilization from vegetative organs to grains, coordinating biomass and P partitioning during reproductive growth.
Conclusions:
Collectively, ZmPHR1 integrates root morphological remodelling, rhizosphere activation and internal P redistribution to enhance P efficiency and yield in maize. This gene represents a promising molecular target for breeding P-efficient cultivars and optimizing fertilizer management.
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