New genomic approaches for enhancing maize genetic improvement.

Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most widely grown crops in the world, with an annual global production of over 1147 million tons. Genomics approaches are thought to be the best solution for accelerating yield improvement to meet the challenges of a growing population and global climate change. Here, we review current approaches to the exploration of novel genetic variation in genomes, DNA modifications, and transcription levels of cultivated maize, landraces, and wild relatives. We discuss applications of genetic engineering to maize yield improvement and highlight future directions for maize genomics studies.