Low red to far‑red (R:FR) light ratios increase the priming of herbivore‑induced volatile emissions in maize plants that have been exposed to neighbor volatiles, regardless of the light conditions of the emitting plants. Both constitutive VOCs and HIPVs released by maize grown under low R:FR amplify HIPV emission in neighboring receivers, indicating that canopy shade can intensify volatile‑mediated plant‑plant communication.

The study analyzes ancient maize genomes from a 500–600 BP Bolivian offering and compares them with 16 archaeological samples spanning 5,000 years and 226 modern Zea mays lines, revealing close genetic affinity to ancient Peruvian maize and increased diversity during Inca‑local interactions. Phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses of ovule development indicate targeted breeding for seed quality and yield, suggesting culturally driven selection was already established by the 15th century CE.

The study mapped the macroscopic and cellular development of maize leaves and internodes, revealing a shared growth design with organ‑specific timing. Using high‑resolution spatiotemporal transcriptome profiling of 272 tissue samples under well‑watered and drought conditions, the authors generated a searchable expression atlas and identified conserved and organ‑specific gene regulatory patterns, including genes linked to leaf angle and vascular development. This resource advances understanding of shoot organ development and drought response for targeted trait engineering in maize.

The study introduces an in-soil fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing system that continuously records three-dimensional strain from growing pseudo-roots, enabling non‑destructive monitoring of root architecture. Using two ResNet models, the system predicts root width and depth with over 90% accuracy, and performance improves to 96‑98% after retraining on data from actual corn (Zea mays) roots over a 30‑day period. This prototype demonstrates potential for scalable, real‑time root phenotyping and broader soil environment sensing.

The study evaluated how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Funnaliformis mosseae) together with Moringa oleifera‑derived green nanoparticles (FeO, ZnO, and Zn/Fe) affects maize growth, root architecture, organic acid production, mycorrhizal colonization, and nutrient uptake. Characterization of the nanoparticles (SEM, FTIR, UV‑Vis, XRD) and metabolomic profiling of Moringa leaves were performed, revealing that while Zn/Fe NPs performed best alone, the AMF + ZnO combination gave the greatest overall growth benefits and colonization compatibility, suggesting a promising sustainable agricultural strategy.

The study characterized 1,264 maize near‑isogenic lines derived from 18 donor inbreds crossed to the recurrent parent B73, using genotyping‑by‑sequencing and SNP‑chip data to detect 2,972 introgression segments via a novel hidden Markov model pipeline. Disease phenotyping enabled QTL mapping for foliar disease resistance, revealing extensive allelic variation among donor lines, and establishing the nNIL population as a valuable resource for dissecting complex traits in maize.