Weed presence altered biotic stress and light signaling in maize even when weeds were removed early in the critical weed-free period.

ABSTRACT: Weed presence early in the life cycle of maize (typically, from emergence through the 8 to 12 leaf growth stage) can reduce crop growth and yield and is known as the critical weed-free period (CWFP). Even if weeds are removed during or just after the CWFP, crop growth and yield often are not recoverable. We compared transcriptome responses of field-grown hybrid maize at V8 in two consecutive years among plants grown under weed-free and two weed-stressed conditions (weeds removed at V4 or present through V8) using RNAseq analysis techniques. Compared with weed-free plant responses, physiological differences at V8 were identified in all weed-stressed plants and were most often associated with altered photosynthetic processes, hormone signaling, nitrogen use and transport, and biotic stress r

SUBMITTER: Horvath DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6508562 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature