The interaction between abiotic and biotic soil factors drive heterosis expression in maize.

ABSTRACT: Heterosis or hybrid vigor refers to the superior phenotypes of hybrids relative to their parental inbred lines. Recently, soil microbes were identified as an environmental driver of maize heterosis. While manipulation of the soil microbial community consistently altered heterosis, the direction of the effect appeared to be dependent on the microbiome composition, environment, or both. Abiotic factors are well-known modifiers of heterosis expression, however, how the interactive effects between the soil microbial community and abiotic factors contribute to heterosis are poorly understood. To disentangle the proposed mechanisms by which microbes influence heterosis, we characterize the variation in heterosis expression when maize was grown in soil inocula derived from active maize farms or p

SUBMITTER: Clouse KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11398361 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature