ArticleBMC plant biology2026
Photosynthesis-driven yield improvement in maize under sulfur application: role of young ear development and grain filling.
Article in BMC plant biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Flag leaf chlorophyll content of wheat: genetic dissection, candidate genes prediction and its relationship with other agronomic traits.Frontiers in plant science · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSulfur (S) deficiency is increasingly recognized as a limiting factor for maize productivity, yet the physiological mechanisms underlying sulfur-driven yield enhancement remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to clarify how sulfur application influences maize ear development, grain filling, and photosynthetic performance.
resultsField experiments were conducted during 2020–2021 on two contrasting soil types (black soil and sandy soil) with sulfur application rates ranging from 0 to 120 kg ha⁻¹. Moderate sulfur application (S60–S90) significantly increased maize grain yield (P < 0.05), with yield increases of approximately 10–27% in black soil and 7–26% in sandy soil, and peak yields of 11,843 kg ha⁻¹ and 8,780 kg ha⁻¹, respectively, at the S90 treatment. Yield improvement was primarily attributed to coordinated increases in kernel number per ear and thousand-grain weight. Kernel number per ear increased significantly by 2.7–6.8% in black soil and 2.0–7.4% in sandy soil, which was closely associated with enhanced nitrogen accumulation in young ears (12.1–46.1% higher than S0) and increased fertilization rates (1.0–2.3%). Thousand-grain weight was also significantly improved, increasing by 1.2–11.9% in black soil and 3.8–16.7% in sandy soil, supported by higher grain-filling rates (0.7–1.9 g day⁻¹ per thousand-grain) and a prolonged rapid grain-filling duration (0.5–1.9 days). In addition, sulfur application significantly maintained post-silking photosynthesis by increasing chlorophyll content and leaf area index, thereby ensuring sufficient assimilate supply for kernel development.
conclusionsSulfur fertilization improves maize yield by coordinating pre-silking ear development and nitrogen uptake with post-silking photosynthetic activity to support grain filling. These findings provide a physiological framework for nutrient management strategies to optimize maize yield under variable soil fertility conditions.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.