“…Within maize specifically, root trait variation among inbred breeding lines has been linked to performance differences under both water (Bomfim et al., 2011 ; Jaramillo et al., 2013 ; Schneider et al., 2020 ) and nutrient (Galindo‐Castañeda et al., 2018 ; Schneider, Postma, et al., 2017 ) limitation. Extensive root trait variation has also been reported among native maize varieties (Bayuelo‐Jiménez et al., 2011 ; Berauer et al., 2023 ; Burton et al., 2013 ), although the associated functional impact and possible adaptive roles remain to be fully characterized. Variations in the plant root system can be considered from the anatomy of individual roots to overall root system architecture (Jung & McCouch, 2013 ; Lynch, 2019 ), with traits at all levels interacting to determine overall root system function in the context of a given environment (Klein et al., 2020 ).…”