Nitrogen economy in maize phenotypes with contrasting vegetative-reproductive plasticity

Nitrogen economy in maize phenotypes with contrasting vegetative-reproductive plasticity | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Nitrogen economy in maize phenotypes with contrasting vegetative-reproductive plasticity Carlos Andres Mejia Alvarez, Diego Hernán Rotili, Franco Espelet, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8992423/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background and aims In environments with low potential for maize production, late sowing and low plant densities can encourage the expression of vegetative (tillering) and reproductive (prolificacy) plasticity. However, limited nitrogen (N) fertilization often restricts the expression of these mechanisms. This study aimed to compare N uptake, internal N efficiency for biomass and grain (NIE B , and NIE G ), N harvest index, grain harvest index (HI), and grain yield (GY) among maize phenotypes that differ in vegetative–reproductive plasticity under contrasting growth conditions during the tillering and prolificacy expression periods. Methods Three irrigated field experiments were conducted across different growing seasons using four maize hybrids, including plastic phenotypes exhibiting tillering, prolificacy, and a combination of prolificacy + tillering, and a non-plastic phenotype. These treatments were grown at a density of 3 plants m − 2 under a soil N availability of 370 kg N ha − 1 . Shading treatments (growth-limited conditions) were applied for approximately two weeks at different phenological stages, alongside a non-shaded control (potential growth conditions). Results Under potential growth conditions, crop N uptake at R 6 did not differ among phenotypes. However, the tillering phenotype showed the highest NIE B , whereas the prolific phenotype had the highest NIE G . In contrast, the flex phenotype had the lowest NIE G . Similarly, under early vegetative growth restrictions, the flex phenotype achieved the lowest NIE B , whereas the prolific phenotype maintained higher values of NIE G and HI values around flowering. Conclusions Vegetative and reproductive plasticity differentially shaped maize N economy. Tillering enhanced NIE B under favorable conditions, whereas prolificacy stabilized NIE G and HI under growth restrictions around flowering. corn tillers prolificacy nitrogen economy Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 07 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 14 Apr, 2026 Editor invited by journal 17 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 17 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 02 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8992423","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":622850110,"identity":"56f771f7-2eba-4396-a2d5-63d4cb723755","order_by":0,"name":"Carlos Andres Mejia 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Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"corn, tillers, prolificacy, nitrogen economy","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8992423/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8992423/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground and aims\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn environments with low potential for maize production, late sowing and low plant densities can encourage the expression of vegetative (tillering) and reproductive (prolificacy) plasticity. However, limited nitrogen (N) fertilization often restricts the expression of these mechanisms. This study aimed to compare N uptake, internal N efficiency for biomass and grain (NIE\u003csub\u003eB\u003c/sub\u003e, and NIE\u003csub\u003eG\u003c/sub\u003e), N harvest index, grain harvest index (HI), and grain yield (GY) among maize phenotypes that differ in vegetative\u0026ndash;reproductive plasticity under contrasting growth conditions during the tillering and prolificacy expression periods.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThree irrigated field experiments were conducted across different growing seasons using four maize hybrids, including plastic phenotypes exhibiting tillering, prolificacy, and a combination of prolificacy\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;tillering, and a non-plastic phenotype. These treatments were grown at a density of 3 plants m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2\u003c/sup\u003e under a soil N availability of 370 kg N ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. Shading treatments (growth-limited conditions) were applied for approximately two weeks at different phenological stages, alongside a non-shaded control (potential growth conditions).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnder potential growth conditions, crop N uptake at R\u003csub\u003e6\u003c/sub\u003e did not differ among phenotypes. However, the tillering phenotype showed the highest NIE\u003csub\u003eB\u003c/sub\u003e, whereas the prolific phenotype had the highest NIE\u003csub\u003eG\u003c/sub\u003e. In contrast, the flex phenotype had the lowest NIE\u003csub\u003eG\u003c/sub\u003e. Similarly, under early vegetative growth restrictions, the flex phenotype achieved the lowest NIE\u003csub\u003eB\u003c/sub\u003e, whereas the prolific phenotype maintained higher values of NIE\u003csub\u003eG\u003c/sub\u003e and HI values around flowering.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eVegetative and reproductive plasticity differentially shaped maize N economy. Tillering enhanced NIE\u003csub\u003eB\u003c/sub\u003e under favorable conditions, whereas prolificacy stabilized NIE\u003csub\u003eG\u003c/sub\u003e and HI under growth restrictions around flowering.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Nitrogen economy in maize phenotypes with contrasting vegetative-reproductive plasticity","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-21 22:11:52","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8992423/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2026-05-08T01:21:24+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-14T09:06:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Plant and Soil","date":"2026-03-17T21:08:21+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-03-17T13:47:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Plant and Soil","date":"2026-03-02T07:43:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"plant-and-soil","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"plso","sideBox":"Learn more about [Plant and Soil](https://www.springer.com/journal/11104)","snPcode":"11104","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11104/3","title":"Plant and Soil","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"ceba5070-6324-48ca-ad9b-473a6e694e4b","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 21st, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2026-05-08T01:21:24+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-21T22:11:52+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-21 22:11:52","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8992423","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8992423","identity":"rs-8992423","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}