Mingda Yang¹, Shouchen Ma², Fujian Mei¹, Li Wei¹, Tongchao Wang^1,*, Xiaokang Guan^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.90, No.2, pp. 417-435, 2021, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2021.013175

Abstract Knowledge of the interactive effects of water and nitrogen (N) on physio-chemical traits of maize (Zea mays L.) helps to optimize water and N management and improve productivity. A split-plot experiment was conducted with three soil water conditions (severe drought, moderate drought, and fully water supply referring to 45%–55%, 65%–75%, and 85%–95% field capacity, respectively) and four N application rates (N₀, N₁₅₀, N₂₄₀, and N₃₃₀ referring to 0, 150, 240, 330 kg N ha^–1 respectively) under drip fertigation in 2014 and 2015 in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China. The results indicated that drought stress inhibited physiological activity of plants… More >

Zhenzhong Jiang¹, Peng Jiao¹, Zhuo Qi¹, He Zhao², Jing Qu², Siyan Liu¹, Dan Yao¹, Piwu Wang², Shuyan Guan^1,*, Yiyong Ma^2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.90, No.2, pp. 449-459, 2021, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2021.013247

Abstract The concept of gene-function-genetic trait was introduced to explore the effects of early flowering on the growth and development of maize at the jointing stage and to obtain early flowering mutants using ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis. First, we studied gene expression, phytohormones, and lignin content to explore the physiological peculiarities of the early flowering mutant. Then we analyzed the genetic features of the mutants during the jointing stage by measuring physiological and biochemical indices of drought tolerance. The results showed that the photosynthetic rate of the mutant was significantly higher than that of the control and More >

A. A. Román-Calzoncit¹, F. Ramírez-Godina^2,*, J. Sánchez-Laureano², A. C. Flores-Gallegos¹, J. Espinoza-Velázquez², R. Rodríguez-Herrera^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.90, No.1, pp. 87-97, 2021, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2020.013880

Abstract Polyembryony in maize (PEm) contributes to improving the nutritional properties of the grain, as well as an increase in yield, since it generates multiple plants per seed, opening the possibility of developing new varieties. However, it is unknown whether polyembryony in maize is the product of chromosomal abnormalities. Based on the above, in this research a cytogenetic study was proposed to verify if chromosomal abnormalities are related to the maize polyembryony. For a meiotic study, maize genotypes with variable proportions of polyembryony (PEm), from the UA-IMM-BAP population and non-PEm (monoembryonic) maize were used, while for… More >

MD. ROBYUL ISLAM^1,4, TAHIA NAZNIN², DIPALI RANI GUPTA³, MD. ASHRAFUL HAQUE¹, MIRZA HASANUZZAMAN^3,*, MD. MOTIAR ROHMAN^4,*

BIOCELL, Vol.44, No.4, pp. 713-730, 2020, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2020.011812

Abstract The current study investigated the comparative oxidative damage in two maize seedlings induced by saline, drought, and combined stress and the ameliorative role of two different doses (20 and 80 µM) of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) against the above-mentioned stresses. Hydroponically grown 10-day-old maize (Zea mays, var. BARI Hybrid Maize-7 (BHM-7) and BARI Hybrid Maize-9 (BHM-9)) seedlings were exposed to 12 dS/m of saline solution, 200 mM mannitol-induced drought stress alone and their combined stress for 7 days. Result revealed that individual stresses retard the plant growth to some degrees; however, their combined stress has more detrimental… More >

Sen Wang¹, Fei Zheng¹, Meijing Zhang¹, Jun Tu², Yanping Chen^1,3, Jianhua Yuan^1,3, Qingchang Meng^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.89, No.4, pp. 861-871, 2020, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2020.011762

Abstract Endosperm mutants are critical to the studies on both starch synthesis and metabolism and genetic improvement of starch quality in maize. In the present study, a novel maize endosperm mutant A0178 of natural variation was used as the experimental material and identified and then characterized. Through phenotypic identification, genetic analysis, main ingredients measurement and embryo rescue, development of genetic mapping population from A0178, the endosperm mutant gene was located. The results showed that the mutant exhibited extremely low germination ability as attributed to the inhibited embryo development, and amounts of sugars were accumulated in the… More >

Cansu Altuntaş¹, Rabiye Terzi^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.89, No.3, pp. 487-495, 2020, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2020.08919

Abstract The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle in the cell where proteins are created and folded. Folding is a very elaborate process that is often interrupted by various biotic and abiotic stresses, leading to the formation of unfolded and misfolded proteins called ER stress. Dithiothreitol (DTT)-induced unfolded protein response (UPR) in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has been recently reported in plants. Also, previous studies demonstrated that treatment with polyethylene glycol (PEG₆₀₀₀) could stimulate water deficit in crops. However, further researches should be conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanism of ER stress response and the relationship between water… More >

Alhan Sariyev¹, Celaleddin Barutcular^2,*, Mert Acar¹, Akbar Hossain³, Ayman EL Sabagh^2,4,5,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.89, No.3, pp. 519-528, 2020, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2020.09142

Abstract Maize being sub-tropical crop is sensitive to water deficit during the early growth stages; particularly clay-rich soil, due to the compaction of the soil. It is well-documented that potential sub-surface drip irrigation (SDI) (Full irrigation; SDIFull (100% field capacity (FC)), Deficit irrigation; SDIDeficit (70% FC)) improves water use efficiency, which leads to increased crop productivity; since it has a constraint that SDI excludes soil air around the root-zone during irrigation events, which alter the root function and crop performance. Additionally, in clayrich soils, the root system of plants generally suffers the limitation of oxygen, particularly… More >

Peng Jiao^1,#, Ruiqi Ma^2,#, Zhuo Qi¹, Zhenzhong Jiang¹, Siyan Liu¹, Jing Qu³, Shuyan Guan^1,*, Yiyong Ma^3,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.89, No.1, pp. 121-130, 2020, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2020.07980

Abstract This research uses the immature embryos of inbred maize lines (GSH9901, Hi01, Hi02, and Chang 7-2) as receptor materials to establish the callus induction system. These inbred lines provide the receptor materials for the genetic regeneration of maize and the verification of the genetic functions of maize. The factor experiment and orthogonal experiments were used to investigate the impacts of different genotypes, immature embryo size, shield orientation, 2, 4-D concentration, proline concentration, and folic acid concentration on the induction rate of embryogenic callus tissue. A sensitivity experiment testing glyphosate (Bar) and an antibiotic (Cefotaxime sodium)… More >

Marina Tsvetova¹, Lev Elkonin^1,*, Yulia Italianskaya¹

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.88, No.4, pp. 389-401, 2019, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2019.07485

Abstract Apomictic seed development is a complex process including formation of unreduced embryo sac, parthenogenetic embryo development from the egg cell, and endosperm formation either autonomously, or due to fertilization of polar nuclei by the sperm (under pseudogamous form of apomixis). In the latter case, an obstacle to the normal endosperm development is disturbance of maternal (m) -to-paternal (p) genomic ratio 2m: 1p that occurs in the cases of pollination of unreduced embryo sac with haploid sperms. Usage of tetraploid pollinators can overcome this problem because in such crosses maternal-to-paternal genomic ratio is 4m: 2p that… More >

A. Sattar^1,*, A. Sher^1,*, M. Ijaz¹, M. Irfan², M. Butt¹, T. Abbas¹, S. Hussain², A. Abbas¹, M. S. Ullah³, M. A. Cheema⁴

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.88, No.4, pp. 379-388, 2019, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2019.04784

Abstract Application of biochar to agricultural soils is mostly used to improve soil fertility. Experimental treatments were comprised of two factors: i) drought at two level, i.e., 80% and 40% water holding capacity (WHC) which was maintained on gravimetric basis ii) three levels of biochar i.e., control, 2 t ha^-1 and 4 t ha^-1 added to soil. Experimentation was done to examine potential of biochar application to enhance the growth attributes, water relations, photosynthetic pigments and antioxidants activities in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings. Results of study revealed that biochar application increased the growth qualities (total seedlings biomass,… More >