Maize responses to drought and Fusarium verticillioides infection: Mechanisms, potential interactions and management perspectives

Abstract

• Drought and F. verticillioides stress reduce yield and grain quality. • F. verticillioides and drought increase fumonisin risk in food and feed chains. • Combined stress limits uptake, damages cells and triggers early senescence. • Hormonal crosstalk and energy trade-offs weaken dual stress resilience. • Dual stress research gaps demand multi-omics and integrated management. Climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of drought events, while simultaneously expanding the geographical range and prevalence of fungal pathogens such as Fusarium verticillioides . In cereal crops, especially maize, the simultaneous of drought and F. verticillioides infection presents a major threat to global food security by reducing yield, compromising grain quality and increasing mycotoxin contamination. Although the effects of drought and F. verticillioides infection on cereals are well studied individually, their combined impact is not well understood and often non-additive. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how drought and F. verticillioides infection affect plant water relations, photosynthesis, antioxidant defenses, hormonal signaling and structural barriers in maize, both independently and in combination. We hypothesize potential interaction mechanisms based on insights from single-stress studies, emphasizing trade-offs in resource allocation, hormonal antagonism and redox imbalance. Furthermore, we highlight critical knowledge gaps and call for integrative research that bridges plant physiology, molecular mechanisms and agronomic practices. Advancing multi-omics approaches and developing dual-stress phenotyping systems are critical is essential for identifying tolerant genotypes and advancing breeding efforts. In parallel, exploring synergistic management strategies, including microbial biocontrol and tailored agronomic interventions, are essential to building resilient cereal production systems under simultaneous drought and pathogen pressure.