Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.4, 166-175 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 166 Review Article Open Access Analysis of Genetic Structure and Population Differentiation in Global Maize Germplasm Baixin Song Modern Agriculture Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: baixin.song@cuixi.org Field Crop, 2025, Vol.8, No.4 doi: 10.5376/fc.2025.08.0016 Received: 04 May, 2025 Accepted: 15 Jun., 2025 Published: 03 Jul., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Song, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Song B.X., 2025, Analysis of genetic structure and population differentiation in global maize germplasm, Field Crop, 8(4): 166-175 (doi: 10.5376/fc.2025.08.0016) Abstract Maize (Zea mays L.) is a vital staple crop worldwide, playing a critical role in global food security and agricultural sustainability. In this study, we analyzed the genetic structure and population differentiation of global maize germplasm by integrating studies on geographic origins, germplasm pool classification, and phenotypic diversity, and by evaluating methodologies such as molecular marker analysis (SSR, SNP, DArTseq), population genetics tools (STRUCTURE, PCA, AMOVA), and multi-omics data integration. We examined patterns of regional clustering, genetic admixture, and core collection identification, explored environmental and human-mediated factors driving differentiation, and discussed their implications for breeding and conservation. A case study comparing African and Latin American maize germplasm highlighted historical adaptation processes, diversity patterns, and cross-regional breeding opportunities. This study underscores the value of high-throughput sequencing, pan-genome approaches, and international collaboration for harnessing global maize diversity, with the expectation that such insights will guide future breeding programs aimed at enhancing resilience, productivity, and genetic conservation. Keywords Maize germplasm; Genetic structure; Population differentiation; Molecular markers; Breeding strategies 1 Introduction Corn (Zeamays L.) is a very important staple food crop in the world. It has a large planting area and multiple uses. It can be used as food, feed, and industrial raw materials, so it occupies a very important position in global food security (Prasanna, 2012; Adu et al., 2019a). Corn can adapt to many different agricultural ecological zones, and thus has become an indispensable part of many people's lives. Especially in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Asia, corn is not only a major source of calories but also related to local economic stability (Badu-Apraku et al., 2021). To do a good job in modern corn breeding, it is necessary to understand the genetic structure and population differences of global corn germplasm resources. The richer the genetic diversity is, the more likely breeders are to develop new varieties with high yield, strong stress resistance and good nutritional quality (Lu et al., 2009; Wu et al., 2015). Mastering information on population structure and differences can help identify heterosis populations, guide parental selection, and rationally utilize unique alleles, thereby accelerating genetic improvement and enhancing adaptability to environmental changes (Wang et al., 2022). Nowadays, with the use of high-throughput genotyping techniques, such as SNP and SSR markers, molecular analysis of corn germplasm can be conducted (Chen et al., 2024a). The research results show that there are many genetic variations and complex population structures in global maize germplasms, which also indicates that it is very important to introduce different germplasms in breeding (Zhang et al., 2016; Shu et al., 2021). The global corn germplasm resources are widely distributed and diverse in type, and the differences among different regions are also quite obvious. This study does not merely list the results of these genetic structures and population differentiation, but rather aims to compare and examine them within the same framework, especially the overall situation among different geographical regions and germplasm types. When conducting the analysis, some molecular tools will be utilized, and research data from large-scale germplasm populations will also be referred to. Only in this way can we have a more thorough understanding of the distribution of genetic diversity,
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