Zhonggang Li ¹ , Minli Xu ²

1 Tropical Specialty Crops Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resouces, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
2 Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Maize Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol. 16, No. 3   
Received: 07 Apr., 2025    Accepted: 18 May, 2025    Published: 10 Jun., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is particularly vulnerable to heat stress during its reproductive stage, making its yield closely tied to weather conditions—an issue that's becoming more pressing as global temperatures continue to rise. This study looks at how heat stress negatively impacts both male and female reproductive parts of maize. For instance, pollen loses its viability, anthers may fail to open properly, filaments emerge late, and ovule development can be interrupted, all of which disrupt the pollination and fertilization processes. These reproductive issues are not just surface-level—they reflect deeper physiological and molecular changes. Heat stress can upset hormone balance, increase oxidative stress, and alter how certain genes behave. One clear outcome is a drop in the number of kernels formed and overall grain yield. Timing also plays a key role; when and how long the plant is exposed to high temperatures can make a big difference. This study brings together recent findings on heat-responsive genes, key QTLs, and regulatory networks. It highlights the involvement of heat shock proteins (HSPs), systems that manage reactive oxygen species (ROS), transcription factors, and non-coding RNAs in helping maize cope with high temperatures. Real-world examples also show that it's possible to breed maize varieties that are more heat-tolerant. Finally, this study suggests that combining these insights with omics tools could lead to better strategies for future crop improvement. It underlines the need to accelerate breeding programs that are prepared for climate challenges and offers a solid foundation for future work on heat tolerance in maize.

High temperature stress; Maize reproductive development; Heat tolerance mechanisms; Seed setting rate; Molecular breeding