Aerial root formation in Oaxacan maize (Zea mays) landraces persists into the adult phase and is minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity
Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most widely produced crop in the world, and conventional production requires significant amounts of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, which has negative economic and environmental consequences. Maize landraces from Oaxaca, Mexico, can acquire nitrogen from nitrogen-fixing bac...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1607733/full |
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| author | Rafael E. Venado Jennifer Wilker Valentina Infante Caitlin McLimans Fletcher Robbins Fletcher Robbins Courtney Phillips Claudia Irene Calderón Claudia Irene Calderón Jason G. Wallace Jason G. Wallace Jason G. Wallace Jean-Michel Ané Jean-Michel Ané |
| author_facet | Rafael E. Venado Jennifer Wilker Valentina Infante Caitlin McLimans Fletcher Robbins Fletcher Robbins Courtney Phillips Claudia Irene Calderón Claudia Irene Calderón Jason G. Wallace Jason G. Wallace Jason G. Wallace Jean-Michel Ané Jean-Michel Ané |
| author_sort | Rafael E. Venado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most widely produced crop in the world, and conventional production requires significant amounts of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, which has negative economic and environmental consequences. Maize landraces from Oaxaca, Mexico, can acquire nitrogen from nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in a mucilage secreted by aerial nodal roots. The development of these nodal roots is a characteristic traditionally associated with the juvenile vegetative stage of maize plants. However, mature Oaxacan landraces develop many more nodes with aerial roots than commercial maize varieties. Our study shows that Oaxacan landraces develop aerial roots during the juvenile and adult vegetative phases and even during early flowering under greenhouse and field conditions. Surprisingly, the development of these roots was only minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity. These findings are an essential first step in developing maize varieties to reduce fertilizer needs in maize production across different environmental conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3f8e9a72df444093af8bc2e890670c81 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-3f8e9a72df444093af8bc2e890670c812025-08-20T03:17:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-07-011610.3389/fpls.2025.16077331607733Aerial root formation in Oaxacan maize (Zea mays) landraces persists into the adult phase and is minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidityRafael E. Venado0Jennifer Wilker1Valentina Infante2Caitlin McLimans3Fletcher Robbins4Fletcher Robbins5Courtney Phillips6Claudia Irene Calderón7Claudia Irene Calderón8Jason G. Wallace9Jason G. Wallace10Jason G. Wallace11Jean-Michel Ané12Jean-Michel Ané13Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesDepartment of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesDepartment of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesDepartment of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesDepartment of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesDepartment of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesCenter for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United StatesDepartment of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesEscuela de Biología, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City, GuatemalaCenter for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United StatesDepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United StatesInstitute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United StatesDepartment of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesDepartment of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesMaize (Zea mays L.) is the most widely produced crop in the world, and conventional production requires significant amounts of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, which has negative economic and environmental consequences. Maize landraces from Oaxaca, Mexico, can acquire nitrogen from nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in a mucilage secreted by aerial nodal roots. The development of these nodal roots is a characteristic traditionally associated with the juvenile vegetative stage of maize plants. However, mature Oaxacan landraces develop many more nodes with aerial roots than commercial maize varieties. Our study shows that Oaxacan landraces develop aerial roots during the juvenile and adult vegetative phases and even during early flowering under greenhouse and field conditions. Surprisingly, the development of these roots was only minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity. These findings are an essential first step in developing maize varieties to reduce fertilizer needs in maize production across different environmental conditions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1607733/fullmaizeaerial rootsnitrogenhumiditylandraces |
| spellingShingle | Rafael E. Venado Jennifer Wilker Valentina Infante Caitlin McLimans Fletcher Robbins Fletcher Robbins Courtney Phillips Claudia Irene Calderón Claudia Irene Calderón Jason G. Wallace Jason G. Wallace Jason G. Wallace Jean-Michel Ané Jean-Michel Ané Aerial root formation in Oaxacan maize (Zea mays) landraces persists into the adult phase and is minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity Frontiers in Plant Science maize aerial roots nitrogen humidity landraces |
| title | Aerial root formation in Oaxacan maize (Zea mays) landraces persists into the adult phase and is minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity |
| title_full | Aerial root formation in Oaxacan maize (Zea mays) landraces persists into the adult phase and is minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity |
| title_fullStr | Aerial root formation in Oaxacan maize (Zea mays) landraces persists into the adult phase and is minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aerial root formation in Oaxacan maize (Zea mays) landraces persists into the adult phase and is minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity |
| title_short | Aerial root formation in Oaxacan maize (Zea mays) landraces persists into the adult phase and is minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity |
| title_sort | aerial root formation in oaxacan maize zea mays landraces persists into the adult phase and is minimally affected by soil nitrogen and ambient humidity |
| topic | maize aerial roots nitrogen humidity landraces |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1607733/full |
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