Abstract
Heat stress poses a significant threat to maize, especially when combined with drought. Recent research highlights the potential of water replenishment to ameliorate grain weight loss. However, the mitigating mechanisms of heat in drought stress, especially during the crucial early grain-filling stage, remain poorly understood. We investigated the mechanism for mitigating heat in drought stress by water replenishment from the 12th to the 32nd days after silking in a controlled greenhouse experiment (Exp. I) and field trial (Exp. II). A significant reduction in grain weight was observed in heat stress compared to normal conditions. When water replenishment was applied to increase soil water content (SWC) under heat stress, the grain yield exhibited a notable increase ranging from 28.4 to 76.9%. XY335 variety was used for transcriptome sequencing to analyze starch biosynthesis and amino acid metabolisms in Exp. I. With water replenishment, the transcripts of genes responsible for trehalose 6-phosphate phosphates (TPP), alpha-trehalase (TRE), ADP-glcpyrophosphorylase, and starch synthase activity were stimulated. Additionally, the expression of genes encoding TPP and TRE contributed to an enhanced conversion of trehalose to glucose. This led to the conversion of sucrose from glucose-1-phosphate to ADP-glucose and ADP-glucose to amylopectin, ultimately increasing starch production by 45.1%. Water replenishment to boost SWC during heat stress also elevated the levels of essential amino acids in maize, including arginine, serine, tyrosine, leucine, glutamic acid, and methionine, providing valuable support to maize plants in adversity. Field trials further validated the positive impact of water replenishment on SWC, resulting in a notable increase in grain yield ranging from 7.1 to 9.2%. This study highlights the vital importance of adapting to abiotic stress and underscores the necessity of developing strategies to counteract its adverse effects on crop yield.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Grain weight was significantly reduced under heat stress compared with normal conditions in maize.
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A significant reduction in grain weight was observed in heat stress compared to normal conditions”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Water replenishment to raise soil water content under heat stress increased maize grain yield by 28.4 to 76.9%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When water replenishment was applied to increase soil water content (SWC) under heat stress, the grain yield exhibited a notable increase ranging from 28.4 to 76.9%”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Water replenishment stimulated transcripts of genes for trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) and alpha-trehalase (TRE).
- Treatment
- water replenishmente0
- Gene
- trehalose 6-phosphate phosphates (TPP), alpha-trehalase (TRE)e0
- Outcome
- transcriptse0
- Direction
- stimulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“With water replenishment, the transcripts of genes responsible for trehalose 6-phosphate phosphates (TPP), alpha-trehalase (TRE), ADP-glcpyrophosphorylase, and starch synthase activity were stimulated”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Water replenishment stimulated transcripts of genes for ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and starch synthase activity.
- Treatment
- water replenishmente0
- Gene
- ADP-glcpyrophosphorylase, and starch synthasee0
- Outcome
- transcriptse0
- Direction
- stimulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“With water replenishment, the transcripts of genes responsible for trehalose 6-phosphate phosphates (TPP), alpha-trehalase (TRE), ADP-glcpyrophosphorylase, and starch synthase activity were stimulated”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Expression of genes encoding TPP and TRE is asserted to have contributed to enhanced conversion of trehalose to glucose.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the expression of genes encoding TPP and TRE contributed to an enhanced conversion of trehalose to glucose”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Via conversion of sucrose from glucose-1-phosphate to ADP-glucose and then amylopectin, starch production increased by 45.1%.
- Outcome
- starch productione0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 45.1%e0
- Qualifier
- conversion of sucrose from glucose-1-phosphate to ADP-glucose and ADP-glucose to amylopectine0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This led to the conversion of sucrose from glucose-1-phosphate to ADP-glucose and ADP-glucose to amylopectin, ultimately increasing starch production by 45.1%”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Water replenishment during heat stress elevated levels of essential amino acids (arginine, serine, tyrosine, leucine, glutamic acid, methionine) in maize.
- Treatment
- Water replenishment to boost SWC during heat stresse0
- Outcome
- levels of essential amino acidse0
- Direction
- elevatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water replenishment to boost SWC during heat stress also elevated the levels of essential amino acids in maize, including arginine, serine, tyrosine, leucine, glutamic acid, and methionine”
Claim · model-written summary
In field trials water replenishment increased maize grain yield by 7.1 to 9.2%.
- Treatment
- water replenishmente0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 7.1 to 9.2%e0
- Setting
- Field trialse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Field trials further validated the positive impact of water replenishment on SWC, resulting in a notable increase in grain yield ranging from 7.1 to 9.2%”
t0“maize”
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