Single DNA Letter May Hold the Key to Starchier, Heavier Maize Kernels

Single DNA Letter May Hold the Key to Starchier, Heavier Maize Kernels

Starch is the quiet giant of the maize kernel. It makes up the bulk of kernel weight, drives much of the crop’s caloric and industrial value, and ultimately shapes the yield that farmers harvest from every hectare. Yet for all its importance, the genetic machinery that determines how much starch accumulates inside a maize kernel has remained only partially mapped. A new study published in Theoretical and Applied Genetics by a team led by Langlan…