Global maize production, consumption and trade: trends and R&D implications

Food Security, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 14(5), P. 1295 - 1319

Published: May 17, 2022

Abstract Since its domestication some 9,000 years ago, maize ( Zea mays L.; corn) has played an increasing and diverse role in global agri-food systems. Global production surged the past few decades, propelled by rising demand a combination of technological advances, yield increases area expansion. Maize is already leading cereal terms volume set to become most widely grown traded crop coming decade. It versatile multi-purpose crop, primarily used as feed globally, but also important food especially sub-Saharan Africa Latin America, besides other non-food uses. This paper reviews production, consumption, international trade examine changing trends supply conditions over quarter century implications for research development (R&D), particularly South. The inclusiveness sustainability ongoing transformation systems South merit particular attention. There need further investments R&D, enhance maize’s livelihood security roles sustainably intensify while staying within planetary boundaries.

Language: Английский

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Breeding crops for drought-affected environments and improved climate resilience

The Plant Cell, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 35(1), P. 162 - 186

Published: Nov. 12, 2022

Abstract Breeding climate-resilient crops with improved levels of abiotic and biotic stress resistance as a response to climate change presents both opportunities challenges. Applying the framework “breeder’s equation,” which is used predict selection for breeding program cycle, we review methodologies strategies that have been successfully breed drought resistance, where target population environments (TPEs) spatially temporally heterogeneous mixture drought-affected favorable (water-sufficient) environments. Long-term improvement temperate maize US corn belt case study compared progress other geographies. Integration trait information across scales, from genomes ecosystems, needed accurately yield outcomes genotypes within current future TPEs. This will require transdisciplinary teams explore, identify, exploit novel accelerate outcomes; germplasm resources products (cultivars, hybrids, clones, populations) outperform replace in use by farmers, combination modified agronomic management suited their local

Language: Английский

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Recent climate-smart innovations in agrifood to enhance producer incomes through sustainable solutions

Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15, P. 100985 - 100985

Published: Jan. 19, 2024

Climate change poses significant challenges to the agrifood sector, affecting producers' incomes and food security. This review explores recent climate-smart innovations in that enhance while promoting sustainable solutions. The importance of addressing climate sector its impact on are introduced. Climate-Smart Agriculture core principles defined. significance adopting practices for industry is discussed, emphasizing potential benefits terms productivity, resilience, income generation producers. Key innovations, including precision agriculture techniques, farming practices, role digital platforms data analytics, highlighted. Real-world examples businesses organizations implementing presented, outlining limitations their approaches. faced such as financial barriers, technological limitations, knowledge gaps, discussed. Future directions adoption technologies, backchain robotics, 3D printing, virtual/augmented reality. Overcoming related cost, accessibility, technical expertise, resistance crucial successful implementation. In conclusion, embracing essential enhancing incomes, sustainability, ensuring security despite evolving market demands.

Language: Английский

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Precision Soil Moisture Monitoring Through Drone-Based Hyperspectral Imaging and PCA-Driven Machine Learning

Sensors, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 25(3), P. 782 - 782

Published: Jan. 28, 2025

Accurately estimating soil moisture at multiple depths is essential for sustainable farming practices, as it supports efficient irrigation management, optimizes crop yields, and conserves water resources. This study integrates a drone-mounted hyperspectral sensor with machine learning techniques to enhance estimation 10 cm 30 in cornfield. The primary aim was understand the relationship between root zone content canopy reflectance, pinpoint where this most significant, identify informative wavelengths, train model using those wavelengths estimate moisture. Our results demonstrate that PCA effectively detected critical variables estimation, ANN outperforming other algorithms, including Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). Model comparisons irrigated non-irrigated treatments showed plots could be estimated greater accuracy across various dates. finding indicates plants experiencing high stress exhibit more significant spectral variability their canopy, enhancing correlation zone. Moreover, over growing season, when corn exhibits chlorophyll increased resilience environmental stressors, spectrum weakens. Error analysis revealed lowest relative errors depth, aligning periods of elevated shallower levels, which drove deeper growth strengthened reflectance relationship. corresponded lower RMSE values, highlighting improved accuracy.

Language: Английский

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Tackling G × E × M interactions to close on-farm yield-gaps: creating novel pathways for crop improvement by predicting contributions of genetics and management to crop productivity

Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 134(6), P. 1625 - 1644

Published: March 18, 2021

Abstract Key message Climate change and Genotype-by-Environment-by-Management interactions together challenge our strategies for crop improvement. Research to advance prediction methods breeding agronomy is opening new opportunities tackle these challenges overcome on-farm productivity yield-gaps through design of responsive improvement strategies. (G × E M) underpin many aspects productivity. An important question “How can breeders agronomists effectively explore the diverse within high dimensionality complex G M factorial achieve sustainable improvements in productivity?” Whenever make contributions attainment productivity, we should consider how that potential space possibilities, reveal interesting Genotype–Management (G–M) technology Target Population Environments (TPE), enable practical exploitation associated improved levels under conditions. adds additional layers complexity uncertainty this challenge, by introducing directional changes environmental dimension factorial. These have create further conditional genetic management dimensions future Therefore, presence climate change, both co-design G–M technologies a non-stationary TPE. Understanding relevant sciences each dimension, Genotype, Environment, Management, creates predict novel combinations suitable global food security targets likely scenarios. Here critical foundations required any framework aims move us from current unprepared state describing outcomes equipped consequences range conditions expected complex, TPE influences change.

Language: Английский

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Challenges for sustainable maize production of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

Journal of Cereal Science, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 101, P. 103274 - 103274

Published: July 1, 2021

Language: Английский

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Biotechnological Advances to Improve Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crops

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 23(19), P. 12053 - 12053

Published: Oct. 10, 2022

The major challenges that agriculture is facing in the twenty-first century are increasing droughts, water scarcity, flooding, poorer soils, and extreme temperatures due to climate change. However, most crops not tolerant climatic environments. aim near future, a world with hunger an population, breed and/or engineer tolerate abiotic stress higher yield. Some crop varieties display certain degree of tolerance, which has been exploited by plant breeders develop thrive under conditions. Moreover, long list genes involved tolerance have identified characterized molecular techniques overexpressed individually transformation experiments. Nevertheless, phenotypes polygenetic traits, current genomic tools dissecting exploit their use accelerating genetic introgression using markers or site-directed mutagenesis such as CRISPR-Cas9. In this review, we describe mechanisms sense adverse conditions examine discuss classic new select improve crops.

Language: Английский

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Meta-QTL analysis and candidate genes identification for various abiotic stresses in maize (Zea mays L.) and their implications in breeding programs

Molecular Breeding, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 42(5)

Published: April 18, 2022

Language: Английский

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Genetic gains in tropical maize hybrids across moisture regimes with multi-trait-based index selection

Frontiers in Plant Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14

Published: March 3, 2023

Unpredictable weather vagaries in the Asian tropics often increase risk of a series abiotic stresses maize-growing areas, hindering efforts to reach projected demands. Breeding climate-resilient maize hybrids with cross-tolerance drought and waterlogging is necessary yet challenging because presence genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) lack an efficient multi-trait-based selection technique. The present study aimed at estimating variance components, genetic parameters, inter-trait relations, expected gains (SGs) across soil moisture regimes through genotype obtained based on novel multi-trait genotype–ideotype distance index (MGIDI) for set 75 tropical pre-released hybrids. Twelve traits including grain yield other secondary characteristics experimental were studied two locations. Positive negative SGs estimated regimes, drought, waterlogging, optimal conditions. Hybrid, condition, hybrid-by-moisture condition effects significant ( p ≤ 0.001) most studied. Eleven genotypes selected each MGIDI by assuming 15% intensity where hybrids, viz., ZH161289 ZH161303, found be common all indicating their stress resilience, unique potential broader adaptation rainfed stress-vulnerable ecologies. showed desired such as positive (almost 11% drought; 22% waterlogging) flowering traits. view strengths weaknesses depicted assists breeders develop traits, contributors under specific would robust easy-to-handle process various test environments minimal multicollinearity issues. It was powerful tool developing better strategies optimizing breeding scheme, thus contributing development

Language: Английский

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Exogenous Application of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Improved Antioxidants, Photosynthetic, and Yield Traits in Salt-Stressed Maize

Agronomy, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 13(10), P. 2645 - 2645

Published: Oct. 19, 2023

Salinity is one of the most threatening abiotic stresses to agricultural production, alarmingly expanding both through natural salinization phenomena and anthropogenic activities in recent times. The exploration sustainable eco-friendly strategic approaches for mitigating negative impact salinity on food crops vital importance future security. Therefore, our study aimed evaluate zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) as potent mitigators maize (Zea mays L.). Three ZnO-NPs foliar treatments (i.e., 0, 50, 100 mg/L) were applied 40, 55, 70 days after sowing plants exposed continuous salinities 0 mM NaCl (S0), 60 (S1), 120 (S3) a semi-automated greenhouse facility. Results showed that highest NaCl) significantly affected plant growth attributes, physiological performance, nutrient profiles, antioxidant activity, yield, yield-contributing characteristics plants. Thus, resulted −53% number grains per cob (NG), −67% weight (GW), −36% 100-grains (HGW), −72% grain yield (GY) compared controls. However, treatment with successfully mitigated improved all studied parameters, except transpiration rate (TR) intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE). Foliar application mg/L alleviated NG, GW, HGW, GY by 31%, 51%, 13%, 53%, respectively. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) Pearson’s correlation further strengthened significance ZnO-NP mitigators.

Language: Английский

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