biostudies-literatureUnknown14(6)Fan PNitrogen (N) utilization for crop production under N deficiency conditions is subject to a trade-off between maintaining specific leaf N content (SLN) important for radiation-use efficiency versus maintaining leaf area (LA) development, important for light capture. This paper aims to explore how maize deals with this trade-off through responses in SLN, LA and their underlying traits during the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. In a 10-year N fertilization trial in Jilin province, Northeast China, three N fertilizer levels have been maintained: N deficiency (N0), low N supply (N1) and high N supply (N2). We analysed data from years 8 and 10 of this experiment for two common hybrids. Under N deficiency, maize plants maintained LA and decreased SLN during vegetative stages, while botAoB PLANTSplac053https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9762715biostudies-literaturePlastic response of leaf traits to N deficiency in field-grown maize.PMC9762715Li YLi SEvers JBMing BFan PAnten NPRXie RfalsePlastic response of leaf traits to N deficiency in field-grown maize.Nitrogen (N) utilization for crop production under N deficiency conditions is subject to a trade-off between maintaining specific leaf N content (SLN) important for radiation-use efficiency versus maintaining leaf area (LA) development, important for light capture. This paper aims to explore how maize deals with this trade-off through responses in SLN, LA and their underlying traits during the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. In a 10-year N fertilization trial in Jilin province, Northeast China, three N fertilizer levels have been maintained: N deficiency (N0), low N supply (N1) and high N supply (N2). We analysed data from years 8 and 10 of this experiment for two common hybrids. Under N deficiency, maize plants maintained LA and decreased SLN during vegetative stages, while bot2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Nov2025-04-18T15:21:21.923Z2025-04-07T02:00:18.865ZS-EPMC97627153654529910.1093/aobpla/plac053