The objective of this research is to determine the potential impact of maintaining more N in maize fields on crop yield, resilience, and sustainability in the US under current and future climates. This is complemented by a gene and allele discovery pipeline that aims at reducing N in kernels, remobilize N back to the roots, and understanding the relationship of variation in stover composition with nitrogen loss. By the end of the project period, we will have a clear effective modeling of these nitrogen traits from plant to farm, candidate genes and pathways identified across four trait areas, potential implications for policy, and a set of priority traits and strategies that can be advanced in future public and private partnerships.
Collaborators: Ed Buckler, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Paul Scott, Jim Holland, Ruthie Angelovici, et al.
Funding Agency: FFAR
Project Timeline: 2023-2026
