In search for new mechanisms of maize adaptation to cool spring conditions

Maize cultivation has spread far beyond its place of origin in Central America. This expansion was made possible by breaking the crop’s photoperiodic requirements and by selecting early‑maturing genotypes. In this study we explore the traits that could enable maize to grow at the low temperatures typical of temperate climates. Building on previous work, we identified four phenotypic responses to cold. The aim of this investigation is to describe the mechanisms underlying these phenotypes. The dataset consists of automated phenotyping measurements. Phenotyping was performed on three groups of maize lines that differ in growth speed grown in cold with subsequent regrowth period in control conditions. The metadata_ISA_tab.zip file contains detailed metadata in ISA‑tab format (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.161355).