A benzoxazinoid twist to boron homeostasis story in maize

Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants, but too much boron is toxic to plants. Both boron deficiency and toxicity in soil significantly affect agricultural productivity worldwide. Boron plays crucial roles in developmental processes that influence yield traits in crops, partly because it is essential for maintaining cell wall integrity (Matthes et al. 2020). Although the mechanisms of boron uptake, transport, and utilization are well-characterized (Yoshinari and Takano 2017), the regulation of boron homeostasis in plants remains poorly understood. Unraveling how plants manage cellular boron levels and adapt to both deficiency and toxicity is essential for improving crop productivity and resilience under suboptimal boron conditions.