Assessing the role of strigolactones in maize response to nitrogen limitation

Modern agriculture is increasingly challenged by nutrient deficiencies, which are intensified by the effects of climate change. Among the various nutrients, nitrogen shortage represents one of the most critical factors limiting crop growth and productivity. To address this issue, plants have evolved complex regulatory networks involving multiple signaling pathways and physiological adaptations. A deeper understanding of these mechanisms is essential for enhancing crop resilience and supporting the development of healthy and sustainable agroecosystems. Strigolactones (SLs), a class of plant hormones, have recently attracted growing attention for their role in the regulation of plant responses to nutritional stress. To investigate their involvement under nitrogen-deficient conditions, a controlled pot experiment was conducted using maize seedlings of the wild-type B73 and zmccd8, a knockout mutant line impaired in SL biosynthesis. The plants were cultivated under different nutrient regimes in a growth chamber and a range of morphological, physiological, and molecular parameters were evaluated to compare the responses of the two genotypes. The results revealed significant differences in growth performance as well as in chlorophyll and anthocyanin content under both optimal and stress conditions. Furthermore, molecular analyses highlighted distinct expression patterns between the genotypes, emphasizing the contribution of SLs in regulating nitrogen stress responses. These preliminary results provide a solid foundation for future studies aimed at understanding these molecular mechanisms that could contribute to the development of more resilient and efficient crop varieties, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.