{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T17:14:18Z","timestamp":1782494058033,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]],"date-time":"2025-12-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766102400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of Republic Serbia","award":["451-03-136\/2025-03\/200053"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["451-03-136\/2025-03\/200053"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of Republic Serbia","award":["451-03-136\/2025-03\/200040"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["451-03-136\/2025-03\/200040"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of Republic Serbia","award":["451-03-136\/2025-03\/200125"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["451-03-136\/2025-03\/200125"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Maize is a key staple cereal, with its cultivation improved through genetics, denser planting, and greater fertilizer use. However, little is known about the effects of nanomaterials on maize\u2019s grain quality. This study evaluated the effect of the foliar application of orange carbon dots (o-CDs) on maize\u2019s growth, grain yield, and quality under typical field conditions. Two ZP maize hybrids and their inbred lines were tested. The results showed a gradual increase in grain yield for the hybrids, particularly ZP 4567, which responded significantly to a 5 mg\/L treatment. Increased starch content was observed in both the hybrid ZP 4567 and the inbred line L56 L026 following treatment with o-CDs at concentrations of 1 mg\/L and 5 mg\/L. The significant increase in oil content was observed in inbred line L56 L026. Photosynthetic parameters and pigments were elevated in both hybrids after treatments, although the antioxidative capacity remained unchanged. The findings suggest that o-CDs positively influence grain yield and quality by enhancing photosynthesis and increasing the accumulation of key biochemical compounds. This study provides novel insights into the application of carbon nanoparticles in sustainable crop production.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants15010008","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]],"date-time":"2025-12-19T14:27:16Z","timestamp":1766154436000},"page":"8","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Effect of Foliarly Applied Orange Carbon Dots on Grain Yield and Quality in Maize Hybrids and Inbred Lines"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7957-4485","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ivana","family":"Milenkovi\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Kneza Vi\u0161eslava 1, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6185-3248","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zoran","family":"\u010camd\u017eija","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maize Research Institute, Zemun Polje, Slobodana Baji\u0107a 1, 11185 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8299-9185","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sla\u0111ana","family":"\u017dili\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maize Research Institute, Zemun Polje, Slobodana Baji\u0107a 1, 11185 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Milan","family":"Bori\u0161ev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1098-371X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sla\u0111ana Z.","family":"Spasi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Kneza Vi\u0161eslava 1, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9770-0788","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ksenija","family":"Radoti\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Kneza Vi\u0161eslava 1, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1111\/nyas.12396","article-title":"Global Maize Production, Utilization, and Consumption","volume":"1312","author":"Ranum","year":"2014","journal-title":"Ann. 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