Designing a nitrogen-efficient cold-tolerant maize for modern agricultural systems

Authors: OJEDA-RIVERA, JONATHAN - Cornell University; Barnes, Allison; AINSWORTH, ELIZABETH - University Of Illinois; ANGELOVICI, RUTHIE - University Of Missouri; BASSO, BRUNO - Michigan State University; Brindisi, Lara; Brooks, Matthew; BUSCH, WOLFGANG - Salk Institute Of Biological Studies; BUTTELMANN, GRETTA - Iowa State University; CASTELLANO, MICHAEL - Iowa State University; Chen, Junping; COSTICH, DENISE - Cornell University; DE LEON, NATALIA - University Of Wisconsin; Emmett, Bryan; ERTL, DAVID - Iowa Corn Promotion Board; FITZSIMMONS, SARAH - University Of Missouri; Flint Garcia, Sherry; GORE, MICHAEL - Cornell University; GUAN, KAIYU - University Of Illinois; HALE, CHARLES - Cornell University; HERR, SAM - Cornell University; HIRSCH, CANDICE - University Of Minnesota; HOLDING, DAVID - University Of Nebraska; Holland, James; HSU, SHENG-KAI - Cornell University; HUA, JIAN - Cornell University; HUFFORD, MATTHEW - Iowa State University; KAEPPLER, SHAWN - University Of Wisconsin; LEARY, EMMA - University Of Missouri; LIU, ZONG-YAN - Cornell University; MAHAMA, ANTHONY - Former ARS Employee; MCCUBBIN, TYLER - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); MESSINA, CARLOS - University Of Florida; MICHAEL, TODD - Salk Institute Of Biological Studies; MILLER, SARA - Cornell University; MURRAY, SETH - Texas A&M University; OKUMOTO, SAKIKO - Texas A&M University; OREN, ELAD - Agricultural Research Organization Of Israel; PARK, ALEXA - Texas A&M University; Pineros, Miguel; Pugh, Nicholas; RABOY, VICTOR - Retired ARS Employee; RELLAN-ALVAREZ, RUBEN - North Carolina State University; ROMAY, M CINTA - Cornell University; ROONEY, TRAVIS - Sesaco; ROSTON, REBECCA - University Of Nebraska; SAWERS, RUAIRIDH - Pennsylvania State University; SCHNABLE, JAMES - University Of Nebraska; SCHULZ, AIMEE - University Of Minnesota; Scott, Marvin; SPRINGER, NATHAN - University Of Minnesota; Washburn, Jacob; ZAMBRANO, MICHELLE - University Of Illinois; ZHAI, JINGJING - Cornell University; ZOU, JITAO - Pennsylvania State University; Buckler Iv, Edward

Submitted to: The Plant Cell
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/18/2025
Publication Date: 7/17/2025
Citation: Ojeda-Rivera, J.O., Barnes, A.C., Ainsworth, E.A., Angelovici, R., Basso, B., Brindisi, L.J., Brooks, M.D., Busch, W., Buttelmann, G., Castellano, M.J., Chen, J., Costich, D.E., De Leon, N., Emmett, B.D., Ertl, D., Fitzsimmons, S.L., Flint Garcia, S.A., Gore, M.A., Guan, K., Hale, C.O., Herr, S., Hirsch, C.N., Holding, D.H., Holland, J.B., Hsu, S., Hua, J., Hufford, M.B., Kaeppler, S.M., Leary, E.N., Liu, Z., Mahama, A.A., Mccubbin, T.J., Messina, C.D., Michael, T.P., Miller, S.J., Murray, S.C., Okumoto, S., Oren, E., Park, A.N., Pineros, M., Pugh, N.A., Raboy, V., Rellan-Alvarez, R., Romay, M., Rooney, T., Roston, R.L., Sawers, R.J., Schnable, J., Schulz, A., Scott, M.P., Springer, N.M., Washburn, J.D., Zambrano, M.A., Zhai, J., Zou, J., Buckler Iv, E.S. 2025. Designing a nitrogen-efficient cold-tolerant maize for modern agricultural systems. The Plant Cell. 37(7). https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koaf139.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koaf139

Interpretive Summary: Corn is the world’s most productive grain crop and a cornerstone of the global food supply. In the US, it is primarily valued for its starch, while its protein has modest nutritional and economic value, yet it drives the majority of nitrogen fertilizer demand. The Circular Economy that Reimagines Corn Agriculture (CERCA) initiative discusses how to leverage maize’s photosynthetic and nitrogen efficiency, while tailoring the crop to its modern uses and annual farm rotations. Three areas of plant research are needed to achieve these goals: (1) To allow corn to adapt to the wet and cold conditions of early spring, when natural nitrogen is abundant , cold germination and growth tolerance traits observed in related species need to be developed. (2) To reduce maize’s nitrogen demand, we recommend eliminating poor-quality storage proteins from the kernel with simultaneous development of perennial-like traits for late-season photosynthesis and efficient remobilization of nitrogen and phosphorus to roots and cobs. (3) To stabilize soil nitrogen, leftover plant material and natural root substances that slow nitrogen loss can be integrated with a suitable cropping system. The outcome of this research endeavor would be nitrogen-efficient grain production that enhances farmer planting flexibility, reduces fertilizer inputs, increases starch yields, and reduces environmental impact.

Technical Abstract: Maize (Zea mays L.) is the world’s most productive grain crop and a cornerstone of global food supply. However, in temperate agricultural systems, maize exhibits two key anomalies. First, as a tropical species, maize cannot be planted in the cold conditions of early spring when light and natural soil nitrogen are available, resulting in a shorter growing season and creating a seasonal mismatch between nitrogen accessibility and demand. Second, maize kernel protein is a major nitrogen sink, driving fertilizer demand because of the scale of cultivation. This inefficient mismatch stems from modern maize’s uses and the modest nutritional value of storage proteins. To address these anomalies, we established the Circular Economy that Reimagines Corn Agriculture (CERCA) initiative. Our vision requires advances in three research areas: (1) developing cold and frost tolerance during germination and early growth to enable the use of spring nitrogen and light resources; (2) reducing nitrogen allocation to grain by reducing low-quality storage proteins and developing alternative nitrogen sinks; and (3) stabilizing soil nitrogen by enhancing biological nitrification inhibition. We present blueprints for a nitrogen-efficient, cold-tolerant maize designed to utilize the full growing season, enabling farmers in temperate regions to fully leverage maize’s C4 photosynthesis, reduce fertilizer inputs, increase yields, and minimize environmental impact.