Yield penalty of maize (Zea mays L.) under heat stress in different growth stages: A review

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) can exhibit yield penalties as a result of unfavorable changes to growing conditions. The main threat to current and future global maize production is heat stress. Maize may suffer from heat stress in all of the growth stages, either continuously or separately. In order to manage the impact of climate driven heat stress on the different growth stages of maize, there is an urgent need to understand the similarities and differences in how heat stress affects maize growth and yield in the different growth stages. For the purposes of this review, the maize growth cycle was divided into seven growth stages, namely the germination and seedling stage, early ear expansion stage, late vegetative growth stage before flowering, flowering stage, lag phase, effective grain-filling stage, and late grain-filling stage. The main focus of this review is on the yield penalty and the potential physiological changes caused by heat stress in these seven different stages. The commonalities and differences in heat stress related impacts on various physiological processes in the different growth stages are also compared and discussed. Finally, a framework is proposed to describe the main influences on yield components in different stages, which can serve as a useful guide for identifying management interventions to mitigate heat stress related declines in maize yield.