Mitigating Climate Warming Impacts on Maize Grain Yield: A Critical Need for Adaptation Strategies

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a vital crop worldwide and plays a critical role in ensuring food security (FAO, 2021). However, with increasing populations and climate change, global concerns for food security have risen (Lobell et al., 2011; Schauberger et al., 2017; IPCC 2021). The effects of climate warming will lead to more frequent and severe heat stress incidents, posing a significant risk to crop production (Ben-Air et al., 2018; Kang et al., 2018; Waldhoff et al., 2020; Jägermeyr et al., 2021). Grain weight, a crucial factor in grain yield formation, is highly sensitive to temperature changes (Gallagher et al., 1976). Therefore, it is essential to develop robust adaptation and management strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate warming on the reproductive stage, particularly during grain filling (Challinor et al., 2016).