Striking a growth–defense balance: Stress regulators that function in maize development

ABSTRACT Maize (Zea mays) cultivation is strongly affected by both abiotic and biotic stress, leading to reduced growth and productivity. It has recently become clear that regulators of plant stress responses, including the phytohormones abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), and jasmonic acid (JA), together with reactive oxygen species (ROS), shape plant growth and development. Beyond their well established functions in stress responses, these molecules play crucial roles in balancing growth and defense, which must be finely tuned to achieve high yields in crops while maintaining some level of defense. In this review, we provide an in‐depth analysis of recent research on the developmental functions of stress regulators, focusing specifically on maize. By unraveling the contributions of these regulators to maize development, we present new avenues for enhancing maize cultivation and growth while highlighting the potential risks associated with manipulating stress regulators to enhance grain yields in the face of environmental challenges. This review summarizes the developmental functions of abscisic acid, ethylene, jasmonic acid, and reactive oxygen species in maize, proposing new avenues for improving maize cultivation but also highlighting the delicate development‐defense balance when engineering these stress regulators to enhance maize plant resilience to environmental challenges.