Maize Breeding for Low Nitrogen Inputs in Agriculture: Mechanisms Underlying the Tolerance to the Abiotic Stress

Nitrogen (N) is essential for sustaining life on Earth and plays a vital role in plant growth thus agricultural production. The excessive use of N fertilizers not only harms the economy, but also environment. In context environmental impacts caused by agriculture, global maize improvement programs aim to develop cultivars with high N-use efficiency (NUE) reduce fertilizers. Since highly mobile plants, NUE related numerous little-known morphophysiological molecular mechanisms. this review paper we present an overview morpho-physiological adaptations shoot root, mechanisms involved response low nitrogen environment, genetic effects control key traits NUE. Some studies show that growing under deep root architecture, more lateral roots (LR), sparser branching LR, resulting lower metabolic costs. exhibit efficient photosynthesis, which affects suboptimal conditions. sense, obtaining superior genotypes can be achieved exploitation heterosis, as non-additive are important expression associated