{
  "abstract": "Background and Aims: Nitrate (NO3−) uptake is primarily driven by soil water flow and varies among maize root types. This study quantified NO3− uptake by embryonic (primary and seminal) and crown roots under contrasting soil water conditions to determine their relative contributions to total plant N acquisition during early vegetative growth.\n\nMethods: Maize was grown in a split-root pot that segregated the embryonic and crown roots. The sandy-loam soil was moistened to water potentials of either −5 kPa (wet) or −30 kPa (relatively dry). A partial N mass balance was made by destructively sampling shoots, roots, and soils after 0, 24, and 48 h following 15N-KNO3 injection at the V3 (three-leaf) and V6 (six-leaf) stages. Root hydraulic conductance was quantified using an osmotic-driven root exudation method. Gross nitrification was assessed using a 15N isotope dilution technique.\n\nKey Results: At the V3 stage, crown roots had 202 % more N uptake than embryonic roots in wet soil (−5 kPa). However, in relatively dry soil (−30 kPa) N uptake was similar for embryonic and crown roots, and crown root hydraulic conductance was 80 % lower than in wet soil. By the V6 stage, crown roots dominated N uptake, with embryonic roots supplying <20 % of N uptake. Gross nitrification rates did not differ significantly between root types.\n\nConclusions: Maize NO3− uptake depends primarily on the crown roots, due to their capacity to extract water and NO3− from soil, even under dry conditions.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Yutong Jiang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Joann K Whalen",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8774-0594"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4xayncrpd9p2f.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/aob/mcag197",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13714988/",
  "id": "4xayncrpd9p2f",
  "issns": [
    "0305-7364",
    "1095-8290"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag197",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SCI01080"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SCI01130"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SCI01210"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1110|Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7167589294",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13714988",
  "pmid": "42411304",
  "published": "2026-07-07",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4xayncrpd9p2f.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-01T12:22:23Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13714988",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag197"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1110|Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism",
      "subfield": "plant-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Crown roots dominate nitrate uptake in maize (Zea mays) under varying soil moisture conditions",
  "title_text": "Crown roots dominate nitrate uptake in maize (Zea mays) under varying soil moisture conditions",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:22:23Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4xayncrpd9p2f",
  "venue": "Annals of Botany",
  "versions": []
}