Early competition shapes maize whole-plant development in mixed stands

What is it about?

We show that early environmental responses of maize propagate throughout whole plant development, resulting in different phenotypes. A conceptual model, based on coordination rules, is proposed to explain the development of the maize plant in pure and mixed stands.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

How plants respond to the opportunity for enhanced resource capture provided by allospecific neighbours is not known, and neither is it known how the development and growth repertoire of the plant is changed in a self-regulation framework under the influence of changed conditions of early growth in the mixed stand. Understanding these responses and their regulation is critical knowledge for well-informed design of diversified plant production systems for the future.