Changes in the nitrate assimilation pathway serve as a component of maize stress response to competition cues.

ABSTRACT: The impact of plant competition cues on nitrate levels and their assimilation in major crop plants remains largely unknown. This study investigated how low red to far-red (R:FR) light, a signal of plant competition, affects nitrate levels and assimilation in maize and soybean seedlings. Maize and soybean seedlings were exposed to low R:FR light conditions (R:FR ≈ 0.5) that mimicked nearby weeds or artificial sources. Additional treatments included individual soybean seedlings subjected to a soybean canopy. Biochemical assays and RNA-sequencing were used to assess nitrate levels, assimilation-related enzymes, and gene expression. Low R:FR light led to increased leaf nitrate levels in maize by 95% and 52% compared to the weed-free control (R:FR ≈ 2.8), and in soybean by 50% and 63%, while am

SUBMITTER: Kramer W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12454449 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature