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Poster

Session: Session 2 Presenting Authors at Posters (Evens)

P-012 - Assemblage and function of rhizosphere microbiome under drought stress during heterosis manifestation in maize

Thursday, July 17, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Crop resistance genetics and genomics

    Presenting Author(s)

  • LG

    Ling Gu

    1Universität Bonn INRES - Root Functional Biology 3 Plant Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich
    Freising, Bayern, Germany

    • Author(s)

  • XH

    Xiaoming He

    Postdoctoral Researcher
    1Universität Bonn INRES - Root Functional Biology 2 Universität Bonn INRES - Crop Functional Genomics
    Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

  • MB

    Marcel Baer

    Postdoctoral Researcher
    1Universität Bonn INRES - Root Functional Biology 2 Universität Bonn INRES - Crop Functional Genomics
    Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

  • FH

    Frank Hochholdinger

    Crop Functional Genomics, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn
    Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

  • PY

    Peng Yu

    Prof.
    1Universität Bonn INRES - Root Functional Biology 3 TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Germany
    Freising, Bayern, Germany

Drought is a major abiotic stress limiting crop performance. Hybrids outperform inbred lines in productivity and stress tolerance. Root-associated microbes enhance plant resilience, yet how heterosis shapes the rhizosphere microbiome under abiotic stress and how these microbes influence maize drought responses remain unclear. We evaluated 302 inbred lines from diverse genetic backgrounds and their F1 hybrids, generated by crossing each inbred with the common female parent B73, under drought and well-watered conditions. Hybrids exhibited significantly higher shoot biomass than inbred lines across water conditions. Substantial divergence in drought responses among genotypes highlighted the role of genetic background in heterosis and drought tolerance. Notably, mid-parent heterosis of shoot biomass in non-stiff stalk/tropical backgrounds was significantly higher than in stiff stalk backgrounds. To understand the biological basis of this pattern, we will explore morphological, anatomical, and molecular mechanisms. Specifically, we will investigate whether and how soil microbes mediate drought responses in inbred lines and hybrids. By integrating microbiome features with host gene expression, we aim to elucidate root-microbe interactions underlying drought resilience, providing insights for breeding stress-resilient maize cultivars.