Harvest index has increased over the last 50 years of maize breeding

Alejo Ruiz; Slobodan Trifunovic; Douglas M. Eudy; Cintia S. Sciarresi; Mitchell Baum; Gerasimos J.N. Danalatos; Elvis F. Elli; Georgios Kalogeropoulos; Kyle King; Caio dos Santos; August Thies; Lia Olmedo Pico; Michael J. Castellano; Patrick S. Schnable; Christopher Topp; Michael Graham; Kendall R. Lamkey; Tony J. Vyn; Sotirios V. Archontoulis

doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108991

Harvest index has increased over the last 50 years of maize breeding

Alejo Ruiz, Slobodan Trifunovic, Douglas M. Eudy, Cintia S. Sciarresi, Mitchell Baum, Gerasimos J.N. Danalatos, Elvis F. Elli, Georgios Kalogeropoulos, Kyle King, Caio dos Santos, August Thies, Lia Olmedo Pico, Michael J. Castellano, Patrick S. Schnable, Christopher Topp, Michael Graham, Kendall R. Lamkey, Tony J. Vyn, Sotirios V. Archontoulis

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Context: Quantifying historical changes in maize harvest index (HI), the fraction of above-ground biomass allocated to grain yield, can enhance our ability to explain grain yield trends and estimate stover carbon inputs for sustainability assessments. However, the HI genetic gain has not been the primary focus of previous era studies. Objective: The aim of this study is to enhance our knowledge of maize HI genetic gain. Our first objective is to quantify HI genetic gain in Bayer Crop Science Legacy hybrids and investigate the contribution of breeding and agronomic management. Our second objective is to develop a general-use model to describe the temporal evolution of maize HI. Methods: We studied 54 commercial hybrids (103-day and 111-day relative maturities) released from 1983 to 2020 across 13 environments, including plant density (current and historical increasing rate) and N-fertilizer (low and sufficient N rates) treatments. The HI was estimated at physiological maturity by destructively sampling plants. Then we synthesize new experimental data with literature findings (n = 16) to provide a robust HI genetic gain estimate. Results: Results showed that HI has increased over the years from 0.516 to 0.571 in 103-day hybrids and from 0.537 to 0.584 in 111-day hybrids. The genetic gains were similar across environments and management treatments within the studied range, indicating that this increase is attributed to maize breeding. The N-fertilizer treatments affected the magnitude of the HI, but plant density did not. Our results, combined with 16 literature datasets, revealed a 0.26% year⁻¹ relative increase in HI since 1964. We estimated that the increase in HI accounts for ca. 15% of the historical maize yield increase in the US Corn Belt over the past 50 years. Conclusions: The maize HI has increased over the last 50 years, and this increase was attributed to breeding, not to management. Significance: Our findings enhance our knowledge of maize HI, will support robust estimations of carbon inputs in sustainability studies, and inform crop models to better capture historical yield increases.

Original language	English
Article number	108991
Journal	Field Crops Research
Volume	300
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108991
State	Published - Sep 1 2023

Keywords

Genetic gain
Maize biomass
Plant breeding
Soil carbon
Stover

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10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108991

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Ruiz, A., Trifunovic, S., Eudy, D. M., Sciarresi, C. S., Baum, M., Danalatos, G. J. N., Elli, E. F., Kalogeropoulos, G., King, K., dos Santos, C., Thies, A., Pico, L. O., Castellano, M. J., Schnable, P. S., Topp, C., Graham, M., Lamkey, K. R., Vyn, T. J., & Archontoulis, S. V. (2023). Harvest index has increased over the last 50 years of maize breeding. Field Crops Research, 300, Article 108991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108991

@article{1f96e54a5f0341e2a595a6c454fc22c4,

title = "Harvest index has increased over the last 50 years of maize breeding",

abstract = "Context: Quantifying historical changes in maize harvest index (HI), the fraction of above-ground biomass allocated to grain yield, can enhance our ability to explain grain yield trends and estimate stover carbon inputs for sustainability assessments. However, the HI genetic gain has not been the primary focus of previous era studies. Objective: The aim of this study is to enhance our knowledge of maize HI genetic gain. Our first objective is to quantify HI genetic gain in Bayer Crop Science Legacy hybrids and investigate the contribution of breeding and agronomic management. Our second objective is to develop a general-use model to describe the temporal evolution of maize HI. Methods: We studied 54 commercial hybrids (103-day and 111-day relative maturities) released from 1983 to 2020 across 13 environments, including plant density (current and historical increasing rate) and N-fertilizer (low and sufficient N rates) treatments. The HI was estimated at physiological maturity by destructively sampling plants. Then we synthesize new experimental data with literature findings (n = 16) to provide a robust HI genetic gain estimate. Results: Results showed that HI has increased over the years from 0.516 to 0.571 in 103-day hybrids and from 0.537 to 0.584 in 111-day hybrids. The genetic gains were similar across environments and management treatments within the studied range, indicating that this increase is attributed to maize breeding. The N-fertilizer treatments affected the magnitude of the HI, but plant density did not. Our results, combined with 16 literature datasets, revealed a 0.26% year−1 relative increase in HI since 1964. We estimated that the increase in HI accounts for ca. 15% of the historical maize yield increase in the US Corn Belt over the past 50 years. Conclusions: The maize HI has increased over the last 50 years, and this increase was attributed to breeding, not to management. Significance: Our findings enhance our knowledge of maize HI, will support robust estimations of carbon inputs in sustainability studies, and inform crop models to better capture historical yield increases.",

keywords = "Genetic gain, Maize biomass, Plant breeding, Soil carbon, Stover",

author = "Alejo Ruiz and Slobodan Trifunovic and Eudy, {Douglas M.} and Sciarresi, {Cintia S.} and Mitchell Baum and Danalatos, {Gerasimos J.N.} and Elli, {Elvis F.} and Georgios Kalogeropoulos and Kyle King and {dos Santos}, Caio and August Thies and Pico, {Lia Olmedo} and Castellano, {Michael J.} and Schnable, {Patrick S.} and Christopher Topp and Michael Graham and Lamkey, {Kendall R.} and Vyn, {Tony J.} and Archontoulis, {Sotirios V.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023",

year = "2023",

month = sep,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108991",

language = "English",

volume = "300",

journal = "Field Crops Research",

issn = "0378-4290",

}

Ruiz, A, Trifunovic, S, Eudy, DM, Sciarresi, CS, Baum, M, Danalatos, GJN, Elli, EF, Kalogeropoulos, G, King, K, dos Santos, C, Thies, A, Pico, LO, Castellano, MJ, Schnable, PS, Topp, C, Graham, M, Lamkey, KR, Vyn, TJ & Archontoulis, SV 2023, 'Harvest index has increased over the last 50 years of maize breeding', Field Crops Research, vol. 300, 108991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108991

TY - JOUR

T1 - Harvest index has increased over the last 50 years of maize breeding

AU - Ruiz, Alejo

AU - Trifunovic, Slobodan

AU - Eudy, Douglas M.

AU - Sciarresi, Cintia S.

AU - Baum, Mitchell

AU - Danalatos, Gerasimos J.N.

AU - Elli, Elvis F.

AU - Kalogeropoulos, Georgios

AU - King, Kyle

AU - dos Santos, Caio

AU - Thies, August

AU - Pico, Lia Olmedo

AU - Castellano, Michael J.

AU - Schnable, Patrick S.

AU - Topp, Christopher

AU - Graham, Michael

AU - Lamkey, Kendall R.

AU - Vyn, Tony J.

AU - Archontoulis, Sotirios V.

PY - 2023/9/1

Y1 - 2023/9/1

N2 - Context: Quantifying historical changes in maize harvest index (HI), the fraction of above-ground biomass allocated to grain yield, can enhance our ability to explain grain yield trends and estimate stover carbon inputs for sustainability assessments. However, the HI genetic gain has not been the primary focus of previous era studies. Objective: The aim of this study is to enhance our knowledge of maize HI genetic gain. Our first objective is to quantify HI genetic gain in Bayer Crop Science Legacy hybrids and investigate the contribution of breeding and agronomic management. Our second objective is to develop a general-use model to describe the temporal evolution of maize HI. Methods: We studied 54 commercial hybrids (103-day and 111-day relative maturities) released from 1983 to 2020 across 13 environments, including plant density (current and historical increasing rate) and N-fertilizer (low and sufficient N rates) treatments. The HI was estimated at physiological maturity by destructively sampling plants. Then we synthesize new experimental data with literature findings (n = 16) to provide a robust HI genetic gain estimate. Results: Results showed that HI has increased over the years from 0.516 to 0.571 in 103-day hybrids and from 0.537 to 0.584 in 111-day hybrids. The genetic gains were similar across environments and management treatments within the studied range, indicating that this increase is attributed to maize breeding. The N-fertilizer treatments affected the magnitude of the HI, but plant density did not. Our results, combined with 16 literature datasets, revealed a 0.26% year−1 relative increase in HI since 1964. We estimated that the increase in HI accounts for ca. 15% of the historical maize yield increase in the US Corn Belt over the past 50 years. Conclusions: The maize HI has increased over the last 50 years, and this increase was attributed to breeding, not to management. Significance: Our findings enhance our knowledge of maize HI, will support robust estimations of carbon inputs in sustainability studies, and inform crop models to better capture historical yield increases.

AB - Context: Quantifying historical changes in maize harvest index (HI), the fraction of above-ground biomass allocated to grain yield, can enhance our ability to explain grain yield trends and estimate stover carbon inputs for sustainability assessments. However, the HI genetic gain has not been the primary focus of previous era studies. Objective: The aim of this study is to enhance our knowledge of maize HI genetic gain. Our first objective is to quantify HI genetic gain in Bayer Crop Science Legacy hybrids and investigate the contribution of breeding and agronomic management. Our second objective is to develop a general-use model to describe the temporal evolution of maize HI. Methods: We studied 54 commercial hybrids (103-day and 111-day relative maturities) released from 1983 to 2020 across 13 environments, including plant density (current and historical increasing rate) and N-fertilizer (low and sufficient N rates) treatments. The HI was estimated at physiological maturity by destructively sampling plants. Then we synthesize new experimental data with literature findings (n = 16) to provide a robust HI genetic gain estimate. Results: Results showed that HI has increased over the years from 0.516 to 0.571 in 103-day hybrids and from 0.537 to 0.584 in 111-day hybrids. The genetic gains were similar across environments and management treatments within the studied range, indicating that this increase is attributed to maize breeding. The N-fertilizer treatments affected the magnitude of the HI, but plant density did not. Our results, combined with 16 literature datasets, revealed a 0.26% year−1 relative increase in HI since 1964. We estimated that the increase in HI accounts for ca. 15% of the historical maize yield increase in the US Corn Belt over the past 50 years. Conclusions: The maize HI has increased over the last 50 years, and this increase was attributed to breeding, not to management. Significance: Our findings enhance our knowledge of maize HI, will support robust estimations of carbon inputs in sustainability studies, and inform crop models to better capture historical yield increases.

KW - Genetic gain

KW - Maize biomass

KW - Plant breeding

KW - Soil carbon

KW - Stover

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161282274&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108991

DO - 10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108991

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85161282274

SN - 0378-4290

VL - 300

JO - Field Crops Research

JF - Field Crops Research

M1 - 108991

ER -

Harvest index has increased over the last 50 years of maize breeding

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Keywords

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