Abstract
Episodes of extremely high temperatures (>35°C) may cause a premature cessation of maize kernel growth (i.e., heat stress), depressing crop grain yield. However, little is known about the influence of this constraint on chemical composition of maize kernels, a key trait for end‐use related attributes. Four maize genotypes (flint, popcorn, temperate semi‐dent, and temperate × tropical semi‐dent) with distinctive endosperm types were grown at heated and non‐heated temperature regimes during the early or late stages of the effective grain‐filling period. Heat stress during early stages decreased both protein and starch contents of kernels, but the impact on the former was lower (up to −42%) than on the latter (up to −50%), resulting in increases of kernel protein concentration (up to +14%). The flint and popcorn hybrids, with hard endosperm type, tended to be less vulnerable to such effects due to an enhanced capacity to sustain kernel growth. For all hybrids, heat stress during late stages of kernel growth, reduced similarly protein and starch contents (up to −38%), without affecting kernel protein concentration. Heat stress always altered endosperm protein composition by increasing the relative abundance of glutelins, and β‐ plus γ‐zeins, at the expense of that of α‐zeins. The significant environment × endosperm‐type interaction for kernel chemical compounds should be linked to quality parameters for different maize end‐uses.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Early-stage heat stress decreased kernel protein content by up to 42%, less than the starch decrease.
- Treatment
- Heat stress during early stagese1
- Outcome
- proteine1
- Direction
- decreasede1
- Value
- −42%e1
- Comparator
- non‐heated temperature regimese4
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Heat stress during early stages decreased both protein and starch contents of kernels, but the impact on the former was lower (up to −42%) than on the latter (up to −50%)”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
e4“were grown at heated and non‐heated temperature regimes”
Claim · model-written summary
Early-stage heat stress decreased kernel starch content by up to 50%.
- Treatment
- Heat stress during early stagese1
- Outcome
- starch contentse1
- Direction
- decreasede1
- Value
- −50%e1
- Comparator
- non‐heated temperature regimese4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Heat stress during early stages decreased both protein and starch contents of kernels, but the impact on the former was lower (up to −42%) than on the latter (up to −50%)”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
e4“were grown at heated and non‐heated temperature regimes”
Claim · model-written summary
Early-stage heat stress increased kernel protein concentration by up to 14%.
- Treatment
- Heat stress during early stagese1
- Outcome
- kernel protein concentratione2
- Direction
- increasese2
- Value
- +14%e2
- Comparator
- non‐heated temperature regimese4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Heat stress during early stages decreased both protein and starch contents of kernels, but the impact on the former was lower (up to −42%) than on the latter (up to −50%)”
e2“resulting in increases of kernel protein concentration (up to +14%)”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
e4“were grown at heated and non‐heated temperature regimes”
Claim · model-written summary
Late-stage heat stress reduced kernel protein and starch contents by up to 38%.
- Treatment
- heat stress during late stages of kernel growthe5
- Outcome
- protein and starch contentse5
- Direction
- reducede5
- Value
- −38%e5
- Comparator
- non‐heated temperature regimese4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“For all hybrids, heat stress during late stages of kernel growth, reduced similarly protein and starch contents (up to −38%), without affecting kernel protein concentration”
e4“were grown at heated and non‐heated temperature regimes”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
Late-stage heat stress did not change kernel protein concentration.
- Treatment
- heat stress during late stages of kernel growthe5
- Outcome
- kernel protein concentratione5
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede5
- Comparator
- non‐heated temperature regimese4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“For all hybrids, heat stress during late stages of kernel growth, reduced similarly protein and starch contents (up to −38%), without affecting kernel protein concentration”
e4“were grown at heated and non‐heated temperature regimes”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
Heat stress increased the relative abundance of glutelins in endosperm protein.
- Organ / stage
- endosperme6
- Treatment
- Heat stresse6
- Outcome
- relative abundance of glutelinse6
- Direction
- increasinge6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“Heat stress always altered endosperm protein composition by increasing the relative abundance of glutelins”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
Heat stress increased the relative abundance of β-plus γ-zeins in endosperm protein.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“Heat stress always altered endosperm protein composition by increasing the relative abundance of glutelins”
e7“and β‐ plus γ‐zeins, at the expense of that of α‐zeins”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
Heat stress decreased the relative abundance of α-zeins in endosperm protein.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“Heat stress always altered endosperm protein composition by increasing the relative abundance of glutelins”
e7“and β‐ plus γ‐zeins, at the expense of that of α‐zeins”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
The flint and popcorn hybrids were less vulnerable to heat stress effects on kernel composition.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The flint and popcorn hybrids, with hard endosperm type, tended to be less vulnerable to such effects due to an enhanced capacity to sustain kernel growth”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
The flint and popcorn hybrids are less vulnerable to heat stress, likely due to an enhanced capacity to sustain kernel growth.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The flint and popcorn hybrids, with hard endosperm type, tended to be less vulnerable to such effects due to an enhanced capacity to sustain kernel growth”
e3“Four maize genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
The environment by endosperm-type interaction for kernel chemical compounds is significant.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“The significant environment × endosperm‐type interaction for kernel chemical compounds should be linked to quality parameters for different maize end‐uses”
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See all 14 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.