Maize Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 119-128 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/mgg 119 Feature Review Open Access Research Progress on Heat-resistant Breeding of Fresh-eating Corn: Screening and Utilization of Heat-resistant Germplasm Resources Jinhua Cheng, Wei Wang Institute of Life Sciences, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author: wei.wang@jicat.org Maize Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol.16, No.3 doi: 10.5376/mgg.2025.16.0012 Received: 25 Mar., 2025 Accepted: 05 May, 2025 Published: 20 May, 2025 Copyright © 2025 Cheng and Wang, 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: Cheng J.H., and Wang W., 2025, Research progress on heat-resistant breeding of fresh-eating corn: screening and utilization of heat-resistant germplasm resources, Maize Genomics and Genetics, 16(3): 119-128 (doi: 10.5376/mgg.2025.16.0012) Abstract Fresh corn is favored by consumers for its soft and sticky taste, unique flavor and rich nutrition. Breeding high-yield, high-quality and stress-resistant glutinous corn varieties has become an important goal. Global warming has brought severe challenges to corn production, especially high temperature stress has a significant impact on corn flowering and pollination and grain filling stages, resulting in a decrease in yield. In recent years, the advancement of molecular breeding technology and the application of methods such as genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) have promoted the discovery of heat-resistant gene markers and quantitative trait loci (QTLs), laying a solid genetic foundation for heat-resistant corn breeding. At the same time, the rich genetic diversity in local varieties and wild corn resources provides an important resource for exploring heat-resistant genes. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) and heat shock factors (HSFs) play a key role in the heat resistance mechanism of corn. Transgenic technology also provides a new direction for breeding heat-resistant corn. In current breeding practice, many heat-resistant related traits are not included in the selection indicators, mainly because their determination is complex and costly. Therefore, the development of low-cost and easy-to-operate phenotypic identification methods, combined with genomic technology, can accelerate the breeding of heat-resistant corn and enhance the sustainable development capacity of agriculture. Keywords Fresh corn; High temperature stress; Molecular breeding; Heat shock protein; Phenotypic identification 1 Introduction As a new type of food, glutinous corn is loved by more and more consumers because of its soft taste, unique flavor and rich in various nutrients necessary for the human body. Breeding glutinous corn varieties with high and stable yield, good quality and outstanding flavor has always been an important goal of breeders. Since my country officially included fresh glutinous corn in the corn variety management system in 2000, various regions have continued to strengthen breeding research and promotion and application, effectively promoting the breeding process of new varieties. As global temperatures continue to rise, climate change has posed a severe challenge to corn production, especially in terms of crop growth and yield. As an important food crop, corn is extremely sensitive to high temperature stress, especially in key growth stages such as the reproductive period and the early stage of grain filling. High temperature can easily lead to reduced pollen vitality, obstructed pollination and fertilization, and ultimately lead to a decrease in yield (Hussain et al., 2006). In addition, high temperature stress is often accompanied by changes in humidity and insufficient soil moisture, making it a complex and difficult agronomic problem to solve (Djalović et al., 2023). In recent years, the continuous advancement of molecular breeding technology and the application of methods such as genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) have greatly promoted the discovery of genetic markers and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to heat stress tolerance (Djalović et al., 2023; Yang et al., 2024), providing a solid genetic foundation for the breeding of heat-resistant corn hybrids. At the same time, the rich genetic diversity in local varieties and wild corn resources provides an important resource for exploring new heat-resistant genes. These excellent genes can be used to improve existing cultivated varieties and enhance their adaptability to high temperature environments (Djalović et al., 2023). In addition,
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