Designing a Nitrogen-Efficient Cold-Tolerant Maize for Modern Agricultural Systems

Authors

• Jonathan O. Odeja-Rivera, Cornell University
• Allison C. Barnes, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Elizabeth A. Ainsworth, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Ruthie Angelovici, University of Missouri
• Bruno Basso, Michigan State University
• Lara J. Brindisi, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Matthew D. Brooks, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Wolfgang Busch, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
• Gretta L. Buttelmann, Iowa State University
• Michael J. Castellano, Iowa State University
• Junping Chen, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Denise E. Costich, Cornell University
• Natalia de Leon, University of Wisconsin
• Bryan D. Emmett, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• David Ertl, Iowa Corn Promotion Board
• Sarah L. Fitzsimmons, University of Missouri
• Sherry A. Flint-Garcia, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Michael A. Gore, Cornell University
• Kaiyu Guan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Charles O. Hale, Cornell University
• Sam Herr, Cornell University
• Candice N. Hirsch, University of Minnesota
• David H. Holding, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• James B. Holland, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Sheng-Kai Hsu, Cornell University
• Jian Hua, Cornell University
• Matthew B. Hufford, Iowa State University
• Shawn M. Kaeppler, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Emma N. Leary, University of Missouri
• Zong-Yan Liu, Cornell University
• Anthony A. Mahama, Iowa State University
• Tyler J. McCubbin, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Carlos D. Messina, University of Florida
• Todd P. Michael, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
• Sara J. Miller, Cornell University
• Seth C. Murray, Texas A&M University
• Sakiko Okumoto, Texas A&M University
• Elad Oren, Volcani Institute
• Alexa N. Park, Texas A&M University
• Miguel A. Piñeros, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Nicholas Ace Pugh, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Victor Raboy, Independent Researcher
• Rubén Rellán-Álvarez, North Carolina State University
• Cinta M. Romay, Cornell University
• Travis Rooney, Sesaco Corporation
• Rebecca L. Roston, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Ruairidh J. H. Sawyers, The Pennsylvania State University
• James C. Schnable, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Aimee J. Schulz, Cornell University
• Paul M. Scott, Iowa State University
• Nathan M. Springer, University of Minnesota
• Jacob D. Washburn, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Michelle A. Zambrano, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Jingjing Zhai, Cornell University
• Jitao Zou, The Pennsylvania State University
• Edward S. Buckler, Cornell UniversityFollow

ORCID IDs

Odeja-Rivera: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2310-5564

Barnes: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9539-3297

Ainsworth: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3199-8999

Angelovici: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5150-0695

Basso: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2090-4616

Brindisi: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0325-5861

Brooks: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6081-6103

Busch: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2042-7290

Buttelmann: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7661-2466

Castellano: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1411-7931

Chen: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9060-8017

Costich: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5894-611X

de Leon: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7867-9058

Emmett: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1121-3613

Ertl: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1374-2970

Fitzsimmons: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3260-3706

Gore: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6896-8024

Guan: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3499-6382

Hale: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8119-5273

Herr: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9887-3082

Hirsch: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8833-3023

Holding: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3158-1963

Holland: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4341-9675

Hsu: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6942-7163

Hua: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3777-3344

Hufford: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3945-1143

Kaeppler: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5964-1668

Leary: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2080-974X

Liu: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9039-7843

Mahama: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8942-6961

McCubbin: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5646-7994

Messina: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5501-9281

Michael: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6272-2875

Miller: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7915-1698

Murray: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2960-8226

Okumoto: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1451-5446

Oren: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6821-4409

Park: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7975-6923

Piñeros: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7166-1848

Pugh: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7129-6556

Raboy: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4316-1686

Rellán-Álvarez: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6843-3716

Romay: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9309-1586

Rooney: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6301-1570

Roston: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3063-5002

Sawyers: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8945-3078

Schnable: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6739-5527

Schulz: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3709-9898

Scott: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0479-4816

Springer: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7301-4759

Zambrano: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9247-0964

Zhai: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1535-3103

Zou: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1287-6160

Buckler: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3100-371X

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2025

Citation

The Plant Cell (2025) 37: koaf139

doi: 10.1093/plcell/koaf139

Comments

Open access

License: CC BY 4.0

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 2 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 initiative. Our vision requires advances in 3 research areas: (ⅰ) developing cold and frost tolerance during germination and early growth to enable the use of spring nitrogen and light resources; (ⅱ) reducing nitrogen allocation to grain by reducing low-quality storage proteins and developing alternative nitrogen sinks; and (ⅲ) 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.