Two maize genes found to control branching and ear placement for better yields
Dou D, Sun J, Abou-Elwafa SF, Wang C, Cao D
Crop Improvement
Corn's architecture — how tall it grows, how its leaves angle, where the ear sits — directly shapes how densely farmers can plant it and how much sunlight each plant captures, which flows straight into how much food comes off a given acre.
Researchers studied 206 corn varieties over three years, scanning more than a million tiny DNA differences to find spots in the genome linked to how corn plants are shaped. They zeroed in on two genes: one that controls how many branches the tassel (the pollen-producing top) makes, and one that governs how long the stalk is between the main stem and the ear. By growing modified corn plants and measuring them, the team confirmed exactly what each gene does, giving breeders a reliable handle for sculpting plant shape through targeted breeding.
Key Findings
830 significant DNA markers were identified across four plant architecture traits in 206 maize inbred lines using over 1.19 million SNPs.
ZmARM5 positively regulates tassel branch number: corn plants with altered ZmARM5 activity showed measurable changes in how many tassel branches they produced.
ZmNRT1 negatively regulates ear shank length: suppressing or enhancing this gene shifted the length of the stalk segment connecting ear to main stem.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists identified two genes that control how corn plants branch and grow, confirming one gene increases tassel branching while another limits ear shank length. This work gives breeders precise genetic targets to engineer higher-yielding, better-shaped corn plants.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Genetic diversity, GWAS, and candidate genes identification for plant architecture traits in maize (Zea mays L.).
We provide a foundation for elucidating the molecular regulatory mechanisms of candidate genes involved in plant architecture and yield related traits. Plant height (PH), leaf angle (LA), ear shank...
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Maize, also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to male inflorescences or tassels which produce pollen, and female inflorescences called ears. The ears yield grain, known as kernels or seeds. In modern ...