Targeted approaches to improve nitrogen use efficiency in maize

氮是种植玉米和小麦等高产优质谷类作物所需的重要投入物。不幸的是，过度使用氮肥会导致严重的环境成本，包括氮的浸出污染和生产过程中使用的不可再生化石燃料的巨大成本。提高玉米等作物的氮利用效率将减少肥料使用，同时确保长期可持续生产和可收获产量。此次与杜邦先锋公司的合作将专注于鉴定玉米中与氮相关的性状，这些性状将被纳入旨在减少种植者对氮肥依赖的新品系。

Nitrogen is an essential input required for growing high yielding quality cereal crops such as maize and wheat. Unfortunately, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers can lead to serious environmental costs including nitrogen pollution through leaching and the significant cost in non-renewable fossil fuels used in their production. Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crops such as maize will reduce fertilizer use while ensuring long-term sustainable production and harvestable yields. This collaboration with DuPont-Pioneer will focus on identifying nitrogen-linked traits in Maize that will be incorporated into new lines targeted at reducing grower dependence on nitrogen fertilizers.