Assessing environmental thresholds in relation to plant structure and nutritional value for improved maize calendar ensuring food security

Abstract

The environment has been continuously changed, and it's a bitter truth that we can't minimize anthropogenic activities to mitigate harmful impacts on the environment. The changing environment is a great threat to food security by affecting crop yields. However, there is no comprehensive study to assess the environmental impact on the nutritional quality of the crops. In this study, we have investigated the nutritional profile and yield of maize crops around the globe and synchronized the findings with physiological reasoning. The study enlightens the time-scale activities of maize plant enzymes and describes their response to changing environments. The study also explained time-scale-based changes in the physiological conditions of maize crops against environmental dynamics around the globe. It also detected the impact of climate change on the deterioration of the nutritional quality of maize. The current study reports the activities of three different enzyme classes. It was noted that the photosynthesis-related enzyme activities were boosted after a sudden increase in carbon dioxide concentration. However, the drought years (2005–2010) decreased photosynthesis and increased oxidative enzyme activities. Overall, the glycemic index of the maize crop has been increased during the last four decades. However, the crop production threshold levels have been raised more quickly. The nutritional index values are alarming and have frequently been recorded under the threshold levels in recent years. The study paves a path for maize toward nutritional contents richness, ensuring food security and nutritional security in the future.