Maize
stalks support leaves and reproductive structures and functionally
support water and nutrient transport; besides, their anatomical and
biochemical characteristics have been described as a plant defense
against stress, also impacting economically important applications.
In this study, we evaluated agronomical and stem description traits
in a subset of maize inbred lines that showed variability for cell
wall composition in the internodes. Overall, a great proportion of
lignin subunit G and a low concentration of p-coumaric
acid and lignin subunit S are beneficial for greater rind puncture
resistance and taller plants, with a greater biomass yield. Also,
the greater the proportions of subunit H, the longer the internode.
Finally, the lower the total hemicellulose content, the greater the
rind puncture resistance. Our results confirmed the effect of the
cell wall on agronomic and stalk traits, which would be useful in
applied breeding programs focused on biomass yield improvement.
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