Molecular Plant Breeding 2025, Vol.16, No.4, 211-220 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/mpb 211 Research Insight Open Access Regulation of Pollination Synchronization and Kernel Development in Glutinous Maize under Different Sowing Dates and Plant Densities Shanjun Zhu 1, Delong Wang 2, Pingping Yang 2, Wei Wang 1 1 Institute of Life Sciences, Jiyang Colloge of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China 2 Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding email: wei.wang@jicat.org Molecular Plant Breeding, 2025, Vol.16, No.4 doi: 10.5376/mpb.2025.16.0021 Received: 03 Jun., 2025 Accepted: 08 Jul., 2025 Published: 17 Jul., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Zhu et al., 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: Zhu S.J., Wang D.L., Yang P.P., and Wang W., 2025, Regulation of pollination synchronization and kernel development in glutinous maize under different sowing dates and plant densities, Molecular Plant Breeding, 16(4): 211-220 (doi: 10.5376/mpb.2025.16.0021) Abstract This study mainly examined how pollination synchronization and kernel development of glutinous maize are regulated at different sowing times, and sorted out how changes in sowing time affect the growth rhythm, flowering time and pollination process of male and female ears, as well as the formation process of endosperm. The study also discussed the roles of hormone signals, carbon and nitrogen metabolism and some regulatory genes in pollination synchronization. It also analyzed whether choosing the right sowing time in different regions could help make the kernels plumper and the quality of the products better. This study hopes to provide some theoretical basis and practical suggestions for the planting management and high-yield and high-quality breeding of glutinous maize. Keywords Glutinous maize; Sowing date; Pollination synchronization; Kernel development; Plant density 1 Introduction Glutinous maize is an important food and economic crop. Its yield and quality largely depend on smooth pollination and normal kernel development. Pollination synchronization is extremely crucial. If the pollination time is inconsistent, some ovaries may be fertilized late or even not at all, which will result in fewer kernels and a decrease in yield. Research has found that simultaneous pollination can significantly increase the number of kernels and the maturity of kernels produced by each plant. This effect was obvious in different panicle positions and different hybrid varieties (Westgate et al., 2022). In addition, during the development of kernels, the accumulation of various substances is required, and they are also regulated by factors such as hormones and sugars (Doll et al., 2017; Dai et al., 2021). The sowing time and planting density have a significant impact on the reproductive development and final yield of maize. If the density is too high, the filaments may appear relatively late, which can easily cause inconsistent flowering times of male and female flowers, affect pollination synchronization, and finally affect kernel development (Borrás and Vitantonio-Mazzini, 2018). If the sowing time and density are not well controlled, it will also aggravate environmental stress such as high temperature or drought, increase kernel miscarriage and lead to a decrease in yield (Guo et al., 2021; Niu et al., 2021). Reasonable arrangement of sowing time and density is conducive to better exposure of filaments during the pollination period, improving the success rate of pollination and yield stability. This study analyzed the pollination synchronization and kernel development changes of glutinous maize under different sowing periods and densities, investigated the regulatory mechanisms between them, explored the relationship between pollination synchronization and kernel development and abortion, and found possible explanations at the physiological and molecular levels. This study hopes to provide some theoretical support and technical suggestions for improving the yield and quality of glutinous maize. 2 Phenological Responses of Glutinous Maize to Sowing Date and Density 2.1 Floral initiation and developmental timing affected by sowing date The sowing time will directly affect when glutinous maize starts to flower and the development speed of the flowers. In hot or dry weather, the silk production time of female spikelets is often delayed, which easily leads to
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